Last
by ThornWolf the Loyal
Summary: What if not all of the humans died during the war against the machines? Follow the story of a lonely girl that is quite possibly the last human alive. Well, lonely until she meets a certain stitchpunk... Rated T for some mild gore and maybe mild swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all. I know that I haven't worked on my other stories in a while, and you all will probably hate me because now I'm starting another one. I'm sorry, but I've been beating off plot bunnies with an aluminum bat for a long time but somehow this one got through. And it was just so cute that I couldn't tell it to go away. So I've been sitting on this idea for a while now, and I finally decided to give it a shot. Wish me luck!**

**Little side note: ****9**** probably took place somewhere during the 40s, so I'm going to do my best to keep all of the references to books and music and the like to that time period. That being said, there might be a few songs that slip by just because I like them too much and they work with the plot.**

**Disclaimer: Only the humans belong to me. Everything else belongs to Shane Acker, the lucky guy. **

Chapter 1: Alone

I lay on my cot, staring up at the metal pipe covered ceiling of the bunker's dormitory. I sighed heavily. Ever since Mike had left, there wasn't much to do down here. How long has it been since he left? It must have been at least a month by now. Finally, my stomach convinced me to get up and head to the pantry to see what was left.

As I wandered my way down, I found myself musing about how I wound up down here. I, along with nine others, had seen the danger that the machines presented long before many others. No one believed us when we tried to warn them, so we began making preparations on our own. We found an underground bunker and started stocking up on food and other supplies. Just as the machines began their attack, we sealed the door. We had originally planned to stay down there until well after the sounds or war stopped, but many of us lost patience. I guess one could call it cabin fever. One by one, the others got fed up with hiding and left the bunker. None of them ever came back. I was the last on down here.

I rested my head against the door for a moment as another wave of loneliness crashed over me, before pushing it open and entering the pantry. I thought I would become used to such waves, but they never lost their pain. Before taking anything from the shelves, I did a quick inventory. What I found didn't please me in the least. There was only enough left for maybe another month. There originally had been more than enough to last all ten of us for a year, possibly a year and a half, but a break in one of the main water lines had caused half of it to go bad, and each of the others had taken some with them when they made their journey back to the surface. I slumped down against the wall. Great…this was just perfect. I had two choices: either stay down here and starve, or go up to the surface and face any remaining machines. I closed my eyes in thought. "At least the machines will make it quick," I said out loud. My voice was raspy from disuse.

I jogged back to the dormitory. Grabbing the satchel that hung on my bed post, I opened the chest at the foot of my bed. I paused, thinking for a moment. My skirts and blouses wouldn't be very good for running away from or fighting machines in. Even so, I pulled out one of the skirts, a gift that had been from one of the others who hid in the bunker. It was navy blue with a silver trim, and had been hand sewn especially for me by Ellie. She had been the sixth to leave us.

Roughly pushing all thoughts of the others out of my head, I pulled my other prized possessions out of the chest: two books. They had been gifts from another of the group, The Call of the Wild and Black Beauty. I had read through them countless times, memorized practically every line, but I cherished them above all else. After taking one last glance through all my belongings for what was probably going to be for the last time, I shut the chest. I walked out of the room that the girls had shared and across the hall into the boys' dorm.

There had never really been any separation between us. Whenever I had a nightmare, I would often run across the hall, where Gramps would talk me down and walk me back to bed once I was calm. He wasn't actually my grandfather, but Tom was the oldest out of us and would jokingly refer to the younger ones out of the group as his grandchildren, so we had taken to calling him Gramps. Although he never played favorites, I think he had a soft spot for me. Gramps was the one who had given me the books.

Walking to the bed on the far side of the room, I opened the chest that belonged to a boy who was about a year older than I was. Hopefully the clothes that he had left behind would fit me. The legs of the pants were just a little too long for me but otherwise fit fine, although it felt a little strange to be wearing them. The length wasn't a big problem; I could easily hem them up later. His shirts also fit me relatively well, as did the boots. I took a spare set and stuffed them into my satchel. "Thanks, Mike. You might just have saved my life again," I whispered as I shut the lid of his chest.

Returning to the pantry, I packed a food supply that if I used it sparingly enough could last me for a week. If I was still alive and had to come back for the remainder, I would. My last stop was to the hospital wing. I would need medical supplies if something happened to me. Granted, if one of the Walkers found me there wouldn't be a whole lot I could do to patch myself up, but it made me feel better to be ready if the worst should happen. I had been the groups "doctor," for lack of a better word. The most that ever happened was somebody whacked their head on a low hanging pipe and needed a quiet place to lie down. Only once had somebody needed stitches, but the injury wasn't that serious. Still, they trusted me with any aches and pains, and I was always more than happy to help in any way I could. Now, I loaded up on bandages, gauze pads, surgical needle and thread, and a bottle of penicillin.

I checked through my satchel one last time. Finally satisfied that I had everything that I needed, I took one last walk through the lonely halls of the bunker. This was quite possibly be the last time I would hear my footsteps echo down them, the last time I would duck under the pipe that everybody at one point or another would walk straight into, the last time I would be almost perfectly safe. Finally, I made my way to the exit. I said good-bye to the place that I had called home for a year and opened the first door that would lead up to the surface.

The bunker that we had chosen had an air lock system, meaning that there were several chambers that one had to pass through before reaching the surface. Ours had three doors, which effectively kept any of the deadly gases out of the living space anytime somebody left for the surface. I checked the door as I closed it, making sure it was shut tightly before starting up the ladder to the second door, or rather, a hatch. Carefully, I lifted the heavy hatch while balancing my satchel on one shoulder and scrambled through, letting it shut with a bang behind me. I checked it as well before looking up at the final hatch; the one that led to the surface. A shuddering sigh escaped me. I was very afraid of what I would find out there and considered scratching the entire idea. I sighed again. Turning back wouldn't do me any good; I would have to go up to the surface and face whatever was out there, be it gas or machine or…who knows what.

Taking hold of the latch, I shoved the hatch open and took a breath, half expecting to instantly drop dead from the gas. Nothing happened. I took another breath. Still nothing. The air didn't smell stale like the air in the bunker had been. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever smelled. I felt a slight breeze brush against my cheek. Perhaps the wind had blown all of the poison gas away. Maybe whatever it was that made up the gas had broken down over time. Whatever had happened, the important thing was that I wasn't suffocating. There had to be oxygen in the air as well, which meant there had to be plants somewhere. Perhaps the surface wasn't as desolate as I thought.

I pulled myself up onto the surface and closed the hatch behind me. I looked around the area in hopes of memorizing some form of landmark that would help me find my way back to the bunker and was horrified by what I saw. When we had gone down, the war was just starting; there had been many buildings nearby that were still standing. Now they had all been reduced to piles of rubble, but that wasn't what had bothered me. Not ten paces from where I was standing was the body of Paul, the first to leave the bunker. He and I had never really gotten along very well because of how aggressive he could be. He had originally wanted to fight the machines and had only come down into the bunker because his sister Ellie had asked him to. The poor devil had left the bunker well before the sounds of war had begun to diminish. He had paid for his foolishness with his life; I could tell from the blood that he had been mowed down by a Walker's machine gun.

I looked away from him sadly to see another body, the thin form of Lilith. She had been a sweet little thing, albeit a little nervous and skittish. She almost never spoke to anyone, but she would talk to me when no one else was around. Lil had been afraid to come up to the surface, but she confided in me the night she left that she didn't want to be in our underground prison anymore. She left not two hours after, with no one there to say goodbye. I wanted to see her off, to wish her luck, but she told me to leave her to go alone. That was simply her style. I didn't inspect her body to see how she died. I didn't want to know.

Quickly, I moved away from the area, not paying attention to where I was going. I didn't want to see the forms of anyone else. I didn't want to know that I was the last one. And yet, I knew I was the last. Everyone else was gone. I was permanently alone.

Taking quick inventory of the surroundings, I found myself back in the city. My foot caught on something and I glanced down to see what it was. A satchel. My eyes followed up the winding strap on their own accord. I knew what I would see. Cold, dead fingers were wrapped around it. My eyes followed the arm up, up to the face. It was Ken, another from our group. Glancing around, I saw the still form of Amy lying not too far from him. They were…a bit of an item. The love-birds had left at the same time. Clearly, Amy had tripped and fallen behind and Ken had turned around to help her. Their hands never met before they died. They looked so sad and scared…so lonely…

Slowly kneeling down next to them, I moved their hands so that they were touching. I curled the cold fingers around each other. There, know they were together again. They wouldn't be alone anymore…not like…me…

I started laughing like a maniac at the cruel irony of it all. The dead would be together, while the living would be all alone, so very alone. I could feel my mind crumbling beneath it all as my laughter became body-wrenching sobs. Was this how it was going to end for me, killed by my own insanity? In a fit, I grabbed Ken's satchel and started going through it. I found a notebook and a pen. Opening it, I began scribbling down the names of everyone I had known in it in a desperate attempt to keep my sanity and my memories. The last on the list were those who had been in the bunker with me.

_Paul – stubborn, fighter, cared about his sister_

_Cathy – a bit bossy, always one step ahead_

_Ken – one track mind, generally easy-going_

_Amy – friendly enough, a bit of an airhead _

_Theo – youngest, playful, adventurous_

_Ellie – gentle, giving, never a bad word about anyone_

_Lilith – quiet, loner, loving in her own way_

_Tom – friendly, caring, grandfatherly, wonderful storyteller_

_Mike – best friend, goofy, easily excited, loyal to a fault_

_Adriana/Addy – _

I stopped at my name. What could I say about myself? My mind drew an absolute blank, save for one word…_Alone._

**So, you like? I know, no stitchpunks yet, but I needed to have some sort of a set up. They'll show up soon, I pwomise. *puppy dog eyes* In the mean time, how about some nice reviews? Love ya all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. I got more reviews than I thought for having just put this up. Cool. **

**Just a few responses to reviews I got:**

**To ArkansanDragon – Yes, this is post-movie by about 2 to 4 months.**

**To Mckenna Rummans – Yes, you do sound like 2, but that's okay because everybody loves 2. **

**To scottygirl - *waggles finger* Don't get ahead of me! lol **

**To everyone else – Thank you for the wonderful reviews. That's part of the reason why I'm updating this so soon. If I keep getting nice reviews, odds are I'll update faster.**

**Disclaimer: Addy and company are mine, everything else is Shane Acker's. The two songs featured in this chapter, "Travelin' All Alone" by Billie Holiday and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Kate Smith, I don't own either of them as well. Same goes for "Oklahoma."**

Chapter 2: The Surface

It took me a while to get myself together again. When I finally did, I began my hunt for food. As nice it was to have the change of scenery, the open space of the surface was unnerving for someone who had been in a box, more or less, for a year. While the air was much fresher up here than it was in the bunker, there was a kind of heaviness to it that made me feel uneasy. I'm not sure what it was, only that I didn't like it. The sky itself, which had once been a beautiful blue with fluffy white clouds, was now a solid ceiling of brown dusty clouds. I couldn't see the sun at all. Only a brighter spot behind the clouds showed where it was. And the silence was absolutely unbearable. In the bunker, there was at least the settling of the walls or the creaking of pipes. Up here on the surface, only the sound of the wind whistling between destroyed buildings and rubble accompanied me.

As I walked, I tried to combat the silence. At first, I started kicking along a rock I found, but that wasn't making enough noise for me, and it was starting to hurt my toes in spite of the heavy boots I was wearing. Then I tried talking to myself, only to find that I didn't really have much to say. Finally I tried singing.

"_I'm so weary and all alone,_

_Feet are tired like heavy stone,_

_Travelin', travelin' all alone…"_

I winced. Bad choice. I tried again.

"_Say nighty-nighty and kiss me,  
Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me,  
While I'm alone and blue as can be,  
Dream a little dream of me…"_

Ouch, even worse. Desperately, I tried to think of a song that wasn't depressing. My mind frantically sifted through all of the songs I had memorized, but only came up with one result that wouldn't make me feel sorry for myself. I didn't particularly like the song, but it was better than the deafening silence.

"_Ooooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains…"_

----

My feet dragged along through the dust. I was exhausted. I had been walking for so long, looking for either a food market or some form of shelter. So far my search was unfruitful. Most of the buildings had been destroyed by the Walkers. Once or twice, the thought of raiding the few remaining homes for food crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed them. Whatever little sense of morality or sanity, I'm not sure which, that remained with me prevented me from going anywhere near the houses. Even though the owners of the homes were gone, I would feel like I was invading their privacy by breaking in or crawling in through a previously broken window, thanks to the machines.

The closer I got to the center of the city, the more I started to notice that the buildings were a little bit more intact than they were on the outskirts. Here a flower shop, there a book store. Finally I came across the thing I was hunting for, a supermarket. I was in luck, only part of the building was collapsed in. Unfortunately that included the front door, but there was a nice hole between the rubble that I could enter through. I hesitated outside, again wrestling with my conscience, but finally forced myself to go in. "It's not somebody's private home, it's a public place," I rationalized as I crawled in through the hole, taking care not to get snagged on the splintered wood.

It was very dark inside despite the holes in the walls and the roof. Fumbling around in the dark, I somehow managed to find a flashlight. Luckily for me, it already had batteries in it and still worked okay. I made my way around the inside of the store, looking for anything that still appeared relatively edible. At one point, I accidently nudged one of the support beams and narrowly missed getting buried under a section of roof. I took a moment to calm myself before continuing my search much more carefully. Finally I hit the jackpot. Along the back wall were the canned and jarred goods. I was in luck; judging by the expiration dates on them, most of them were still safe to eat. I filled up my satchel with as much as it could hold before making my way out of the store again.

Once I was safely outside, I about to see if I could find my way back to the bunker when I stopped. Lilith's last words to me echoed in my mind. _"As scared as I am, I'm tired of being in this underground prison." _Suddenly, I found myself agreeing with her. As safe as it was in the bunker, I found myself despising it. As afraid of this unknown world as I was, I didn't want to leave it. I'm sure I could find some building that is still intact enough to live in. Plus, there were probably all sorts of things that I could find up here that would help me survive. Yes, I would find a way to live up here.

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It was perfect. I had found a small music shop that was wedged between two taller buildings. The buildings on either side had taken the beating instead of the little store, so it was almost completely unharmed. Only part of the roof was collapsed in and the windows had all been blown out, but other than that, the place was still in good shape. Plus, it was near the supermarket, much nearer than the bunker had been, cutting the travel time almost in half. Right across the street from it was a hobby shop and a fabric store. This was good thing for me because it meant I could make my own clothes as opposed for hunting for everywhere for something that would fit me. Plus, I had always enjoyed crafting things with my hands and was pretty good with little details. Building little model airplanes and such would be quite relaxing for me.

My search through the supermarket had broken my taboo of entering buildings. Breaking into the shop was no longer an issue for me. Still, I felt some form of respect for the place, so I first tried the door knob. The second I touched it, the door, which had already been precariously balanced, promptly fell off its hinges. Shrugging, I stepped over the door and into the music shop. It was somewhat narrow, but not uncomfortably so. Because it was small, the light provided by the window was enough to see by. Along the right wall were the check-out counter, records, lesson and song books, and a few guitars. I had always wanted to learn how to play the guitar but had always felt too busy. "Well, I definitely have time now," I said somewhat grimly to myself. On the other wall were some of the smaller members of the woodwind, brass, and string families. My eyes wandered over violins, trumpets, clarinets, and came to a rest of a beautiful silver flute. It was alone on the shelf inside of a glass case. I carefully opened it and ran my fingers over the smooth cold metal. I used to play the flute, but when the war started there wasn't enough time to go back to my home to get it. I wondered if I remembered any of it. But there would be time for that later on. For now, I wanted to continue exploring.

At the back of the shop was a narrow staircase. They seemed sturdy enough when I tested them, so I made my way up to the second floor. At the end of a short hallway there was a tiny apartment above the shop; clearly the owner had lived up here. There was a small bathroom on the side of the hall which thankfully still had running water. In the actual room, there was a bed and a desk on one side, and I could see that there had been a small kitchen on the other side, but that had been buried by the collapsed roof. It would probably take me a while to dig out. Over the desk was a set of shelves crammed with books of every sort, and on the desk itself was a radio. On the far end under the windows was a small dresser, and sitting in the center of the room was a dining table with a phonograph sitting on it. There was a thin layer of dust over everything, but all in all, it wasn't bad.

However, clean-up would have to wait for tomorrow. I was absolutely bushed from walking around all day. Out of curiosity, I tried the radio to see if it still worked. It did to some extent. It turned on, but all it put out was static because all the radio stations in the area were without a doubt out of commission. After fiddling around with the knobs for a while, I gave up and instead started to clean off the bed.

At last, I kicked off my boots and flopped onto the bed. It was far more comfy than the old cots that had been in the bunker. I sighed contentedly. Today hadn't been half bad. _Maybe I should start keeping a journal,_ I mused before drifting off to sleep.

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I woke with a start, completely wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. It still was early morning, but I too shaken to fall back asleep. Groggily, I began dislodging myself from the blankets. "A nightmare, that's all it was, just a nightmare," I muttered incoherently as I worked to get my legs freed. Suddenly, I paused. I had a definitely had a bad dream, but I could not remember any of it. I focused on trying to remember any details at all, but nothing was coming to mind. Coming to the conclusion that if it mattered I would have remembered it, I gave up and began tidying up the room a little bit despite how little light there was.

I had gotten the bed made and both the desk and table cleaned up by the time the sun had risen. Bored with dusting, I decided to go out and explore more of my new home. I emptied out most of my satchel before leaving; only taking a few medical supplies in case of an emergency and a bottle of water with me.

I began my exploration as a bit of a spiral, slowly circling away from my new home but still keeping it in sight. Just before the sun went down, I would return home. There was something about the surface at night that made me afraid. Maybe it was because it was so big and dark at night that just about anything could be hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce. Or maybe it was my own paranoia. Either way, I was always home before nightfall.

This pattern continued on for a week. In between my outings, I worked on clearing out the section of fallen roof and repairing the hole. It was slow going, but I figured that if I did a little each day it would get done eventually.

One day, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't continue on with my spiral-searches anymore. Not only was I getting too far away to see my home anymore, but I wasn't coming up with anything good either. I was hoping that if I picked a direction and kept going straight, I'd find something good faster. Granted, it might mean getting caught outside at night, but if I found something useful, it would be worth it. Perhaps, maybe I'd find someone else. I never gave up on the hope that someone else had lived, survived, and was still waiting for someone else to come find them and help them. I double checked my satchel, added some food, and went out.

I began my search by heading east. I was still a little paranoid about getting lost or found by something unfriendly, so I decided to follow the sun, heading out while it was rising and heading in while it was setting. It seemed like the most logical thing to do, and it helped to settle my nerves a little bit.

-----

I walked for what must have been hours. I found lots of stuff. Only problem was it was all rocks, rubble, broken glass, and bits of twisted metal. I sighed heavily as I looked up at the sky. Judging by the sun, it was probably somewhere around noon. I sat down for a minute to rest when I could've sworn I heard a voice. I heard nothing else for a while and decided it was the wind and my own wishful thinking that made me think somebody was talking. Suddenly I heard a cry followed by a horrible roar. Panicking, I sprang up. I don't know what possessed me to head towards what clearly sounded like danger, but I headed that way at full tilt. I clambered up to the top of a steep slope and felt my heart jump up into my throat at the sight.

There at the bottom of the hill was a pile of sheet metal. And holding up one of those sheets was a huge metal spider. It was balanced on its hind four legs, holding up the sheet with another set, and the last two were scrabbling underneath the metal, searching for something. It let out another harsh, mechanical scream. Pure instinct took over. I looked around frantically for a weapon and found a large knife lying on the ground. Grabbing it, I charged down the hill with my own cry. The spider swung around to face me. 8 red glowing eyes burned into mine. However, because it wasn't paying attention to what it had been doing, and the metal slipped from its grasp. The creature screamed in anger it was pinned down. Its legs flailed wildly as it tried to free itself. Taking what was probably my only chance, I sprang with more speed than I had ever believed possible and plunged the knife into its motor, quickly letting it go and backing up to avoid getting hurt.

Sparks flew as the spider screamed again in anger and pain. Slowly the scream died away and the legs stopped moving. I nudged it with my foot carefully, half wondering if it would spring back to life. It didn't.

I turned back to the metal it had been searching under. Perhaps someone was trapped under there. I began hefting up the metal. Suddenly, my left hand slipped and I screamed as I felt something enter my hand. Quickly ripping it away, I clutched my hand in agony. A long splinter of wood was deeply imbedded in it. I bit my lip and yanked the splinter out, doing my best to ignore the pain. If someone else was under the sheet, they hadn't made any sound and that made me even more concerned about him or her than my hand. I quickly and somewhat sloppily wrapped it up, struggling to tie the knot. I tried again to lift the metal, now knowing to watch out for the piece of wood that had been nailed to its underside, using my left elbow instead of my throbbing hand. I hoisted it up onto my shoulder and looked underneath it. There was no still form of a human laying there, only a glove. I did a double take. It wasn't a glove, it was a _doll_.

**Yay! Half a Cliffhanger kinda thingy! Hmm…Oh, hey 3…Yeah, you and the other weren't exactly in this chapter either, huh?...Well, you'll be in the next one, I promise…Yes, I know you wanted to be in this one but…3…**_**3**_**…Hey look, a shiny object! *Grabs computer and hides in closet while 3 goes hunting for the imaginary shiny object.***


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyo! I'm rather surprised with myself. I'm getting these up a lot faster than I thought I would. Just wanted to do a quick shout out to Kayla (Hey, KayKay *waves like an idiot*). She read part of this when it was still just an idea in a battered notebook. Without her support, this thing wouldn't exist. Everyone say thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything or anyone but Addy.**

Chapter 3: Friend

I stared at the doll, completely bemused. What was a doll doing here? Shifting, I carefully balanced the sheet of metal on my left shoulder and scooped up the doll. As I straightened up, I let the metal fall off my shoulder and sat down to study the little object in my hands. It was indeed made from a gardening glove, the left one to be precise. The striped blue fabric was slightly faded but still in relatively good condition. The index finger and pinky were its arms, the middle and ring fingers its legs, and the wrist of the glove acted like a little hood, covering up its relatively plain looking head. Its hands only had four digits and its feet were simply made pieces of tear-shaped wood. I was surprised by the dolls heaviness, and as I gently prodded it, I could now feel a metal skeleton of sorts beneath the fabric. The doll in its entirety was only about eight or nine inches tall. There was a long sliver of wood stuck in its right leg; it probably had gotten caught on the beam that was nailed to underside of the metal like I had. Lastly, upon the left side of its chest was a carefully and lovingly drawn _3_.

I was too busy studying each of the little details to notice at first, but suddenly a movement caught my eye. I could've sworn that one of the hands _twitched_. No, that's possible. It's a doll, an inanimate object. They don't just _move_. And then its eyes opened. My mind literally froze. I must be dreaming. This wasn't possible! The little head turned and stared at me in much the same way as I was staring at it. Then, its mouth dropped open in a silent scream and the little creature scrambled to get away from me. In my surprise, and quite possibly fear, I accidently dropped it. It hit the ground and lay stunned for a moment. Then attempted to scramble away, but it wasn't able to move the damaged leg.

I sat there, gaping in absolute awe. Then, realizing that sitting like a bump on a log wasn't helping either of us, I softly, gently called to it. "Wait…please don't be afraid of me." The being froze and looked back at me, confusion and curiosity replacing the fear.

"I-I promise I won't hurt you," I said, trying again to make friends. I must have been desperate for companionship, but it didn't matter. The doll; it was alive. I couldn't deny that. And knowing that made me want, need even, to be friends with her. My train of thought almost derailed. _Her_. Where had I come up with that? I suppose that if the doll was alive I couldn't keep referring to her as _it_. That just wouldn't be polite at all. While I was frozen in thought, she continued to just lie there, staring up at me. God, she looked so weak, so helpless. And yet she wasn't struggling to get away from me. It was like she was just waiting for me to make up my mind about her.

"My name is Addy." I paused for a moment. "And I'm guessing that yours is 3," I added as more of a question than a statement. At that, the little being's face lit up with a smile that I would've thought was physically too big for her tiny face and she began nodding like a maniac. I took that as an invitation, and slowly approached the doll.

Another odd thought struck me at that moment. If she was _alive_, which she was as far as I was concerned, I couldn't keep referring to her as an inanimate, basically _dead_, object. My mind struggled to come up with some form of name for whatever she was. The name quite literally came out of nowhere: _stitchpunk_. Where on earth did I get _that_ from? Bah, it didn't matter. It fit somehow, and who am I to question what works?

3 leaned away from me slightly, as I expected she would. After all, I was easily six times her size. I froze, softly murmuring words of comfort to her, trying to gain her trust. Finally, I was able to gently scoop her up. 3 sat comfortably in my good hand, her injured leg outstretched and the other one curled up beneath her. "That looks like it hurts," I said, nodding to the sliver. 3 glanced at it before staring back up at me. Her eyes rapidly flashed with light before stopping and watching me expectantly. Confused, I shook my head. "I'm sorry; I don't think I understand what that was about." 3 seemed to sigh. I say seemed because while her body went through the motions, there wasn't any sound. I was starting to suspect she was mute.

3, with the patience a mother has with a very small child, pointed to me and then grabbed the sliver and gave it a slight tug. That surprised me. Not two minutes ago she was behaving as though I was going to rip her to pieces, and now she was asking me to, for lack of a better word, perform surgery on her. "Are you sure?" She nodded and flickered at me. I shifted her into my bad hand, ignoring the stab of pain as her weight settled right over the puncture wound. Carefully, I began maneuvering the sliver out of her leg, trying my best not to hit the metal skeleton or accidentally get it snagged on the cloth. I was fairly certain that she could feel pain, and, having recently gone through something like that myself, didn't want to put her through even more.

At last, I got it out without causing any more trauma to 3. She seemed relieved to have it out at last. I suddenly realized my satchel was missing from my shoulder. Glancing around, I noticed it up on the hill I had charged down to attack the mechanical spider. I must have dropped it in my enraged panic. Carefully, I stood up and walked to my satchel, making sure 3 wasn't scared by the height and motion. I didn't have to worry. She found it great fun to be carried around by a giant. I quickly dug through the bag. I did have surgical thread and a needle, but I probably shouldn't use it to sew up 3's ripped leg. Fabric and flesh are two very different things.

"3, I can patch that up," I said, nodding to her leg, "but I can't do it here. I can do it back at my home. Would you like to come with me?" 3 considered it for a moment before nodding happily. "Okay." I cast one last glance at the dead spider and suppressed a shudder. Our…encounter had shattered my beliefs that I would be safe during the day. I could only hope that we didn't meet any other like it on the way home. I shifted 3 back into my good hand. "Let's go."

-----

3 and I managed to make it back before sundown. For the entire trip, 3 had been absolutely ecstatic. She tried to look everywhere at once, her eyes flickering madly all the while. When we reached my street, I decided to make a quick detour into the fabric store. I was hoping to find a thread that would match 3's "skin," and possibly a thinner needle. The one I had was good for clothes, but something as delicate as stitching up a tiny companion's leg required a finer needle. I was lucky that my street was one of the more intact streets. I had discovered in my first few days of exploration that it was relatively easy to get into the buildings nearby the music store. As soon as I was in the shop, I realized that I would have to move display shelves that had fallen to get to the needles. I placed 3 on the floor. "What's wrong?" I asked when I noticed her fidgeting. "It'll be okay." I turned my attention to the shelves, grunting as I shoved them out of the way. Finally, I managed to dig back to the needles and found a package of the appropriate size.

When I turned around, 3 was missing. "3?" I didn't hear or see anything. Surely she couldn't go too far with her bad leg. I started to panic. "3?" I said louder. I heard something moving. Looking down, I saw 3, limping slightly, rolling a spool of thread to me. "Don't do that to me 3! I thought something happened to you," I scolded. She didn't seem in the least bit upset. Sighing, I picked up the thread. It was red. "3, are you sure that this is the thread you want me to use?" she flickered, remembered that I couldn't understand her, and nodded. "Wouldn't you rather that I use blue instead?" She shook her head _no_. "Okay." I stooped to pick her up again. "Time to show you my home."

"Here we are," I said as I placed her on the desk. "Wait here for a second. I'll be right back." Still a little nervous that some creatures might have followed us back, I went back downstairs and struggled to maneuver the door back into place. It was heavy and my injured hand wasn't helping any. I managed to get it to lean against the doorframe without it sliding on the floor. Although the door certainly wouldn't keep anything out, it would definitely make one hell of a racket if something knocked it down while trying to enter.

When I got back upstairs, 3 was missing again. "Not again. 3?" I looked behind the various objects I had found on my outings and checked the floor in case she had fallen off of the desk. I couldn't find her. I turned around, thinking maybe she was hiding under the bed or something when I heard a thump come from the desk. Looking back, I saw a book had fallen from the shelf above the desk and had landed where 3 was supposed to be waiting for me. Looking up, 3 was standing on the shelf, frozen, arms still outstretched from the action of pushing the book. She stared at me for a moment before limping to the corner of the shelf and climbing down a chain I had hung there from a thumb tack, a few of the things I had found and thought might come in handy later. They hadn't been useful to me yet, but clearly they were for 3. She skittered to the book and sat down on it. _Flick-flick_ went the eyes that were staring innocently up at me, as if to ask _"What? I've been here all along."_

I stifled a laugh and started to thread the needle for fixing up 3's leg. Easier said than done, since it still hurt to clench my left hand to hold the needle and the bandage further restricted my movement. Still, I managed to get the thread through the eye and attempted to stitch up 3's leg. The little stitchpunk stopped me and took hold of my bandaged hand. "No, 3," I said, startled. I hadn't thought that she noticed me favoring it. "I'll let you see it after we get your leg put back together," I added when her eyes took on a hurt look. I wasn't sure if I actually would let her see it. I was fairly certain that the puncture wound was not nice looking in the least.

The second I cut the thread, 3 just about pounced on my hand again. I couldn't help but laugh again. "Patience, 3! Patience!" 3 looked annoyed, but let me go. I went out to the bathroom and filled up a bowl with water and some soap, silently praising myself for remembering to clean out the pipes when I had first found this place. I grabbed a towel and some new gauze and bandages and returned back to the main room. 3 was still standing where I had left her—thank God—and was very impatiently tapping her foot on the desk. I chuckled as I set everything down. I held my hand up high enough that 3 couldn't grab me again, much to her chagrin, and started undoing the poorly tied bandage. I hadn't realized I had done such a lousy job until now, but I guess that when you are panicked you don't really take that much interest in little details like keeping the bandage even. The blood had soaked through the gauze and had dried, effectively adhering it to my hand. Oh, this was going to hurt like hell to pull off. I attempted to loosen it by allowing it to soak in the bowl of water first before trying to pull off the gauze. It didn't help. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out.

Once I got myself under control again, I studied my hand. It wasn't pretty. It was heavily bruised around the puncture and blood was slowly oozing out of the placed the scab had been ripped open when I had pulled off the gauze. I could see bits and pieces of wood still imbedded in my flesh. I felt 3 suddenly reach up and grab my hand. I really didn't want to show her and have her be afraid…but I did kind of promise to show her. "You really won't like the way it looks," I warned. 3 didn't let go. Sighing heavily, I lowered my hand for her to see.

3 recoiled in horror just as I knew she would. And then she approached my hand and gently started examining it. She probed around the edges, poking it so softly I almost didn't feel anything. The stitchpunk took hold of one the slivers of wood and looked up at me, clearly asking me if she could help me by pulling them out. 3 wanted to repay me for helping her. Slowly, I nodded. Having 3 pull out the slivers for me was like having a set of living tweezers. She was far more accurate than I was and was extremely gentle. It once they were all out, my hand felt so much better. I washed out the wound again and rebandaged it. I fumbled around with the knot again until 3 batted away my right hand and tied the knot herself. 3 smiled warmly up at me, and I returned it. 3 dashed off to examine some bauble that was on the desk. Curious myself, I picked up the book at she had pushed off of the shelf. A light smile played across my lips. It was a book on basic medicine.

I yawned. I was absolutely exhausted after the day's events. "I'm going to get ready for bed," I told 3 quietly. If she heard me, she didn't acknowledge it. She was too absorbed by something else she found. I was too tired to care and instead went around my own business.

Five minutes later I returned to the desk. 3 was now standing beside an open notebook. My journal. Looking over her minute shoulder, I noticed that it was opened to my family and friends page. She had written a list right below mine. 3 became aware of my presence and nodded to me, allowing me to read what she had written.

_1 – stubborn, mean, sacrificed himself, D_

_2 – kind, friendly, forgiving, D_

_3 – me!_

I chuckled at that one.

_4 – brother, skittish, always there for me_

_5 – fearful but not a coward, loyal, fun to be with, D_

_6 – artist, shy, different, D_

_7 – warrior, fierce, brave, motherly_

_8 – strong, stupid, can be nice, D_

_9 – good-hearted, thoughtful, wants to do what is right_

_Scientist – creator, a good man, shouldn't blame himself, D_

At first, the _D_'s confused me until I realized what they stood for. "Oh, 3…I'm so sorry."

3 nodded sadly to me before pointing up at my name from my list. More specifically, she pointed at the word _alone_. She shook her head. "You're right," I said as I gently took the pen from her and scribbled in _not_. Suddenly, I felt the need to tease her. Under my name, I wrote:

_3 – funny_

3 looked indignant, but I could see the humor dancing in her eyes. I added the words _helpful, considerate, _and_ friend _after it.3 smiled and took the pen back from me.

_Addy – goofy, caring, brave, friend_

I blinked in surprise. Brave. She thought I was _brave_. I had always seen myself as a coward for hiding in the bunker even after everyone else left. And here 3 was telling me that I was brave. I thought about the mechanical spider. I guess fighting it was _brave_, but still…

"Thank you, 3." The stitchpunk nodded happily to me and I gently picked her up and carried her back to my bed. Setting her down on the pillow, I curled up and felt her snuggle in against my neck. I couldn't help but smile contentedly. "Good night, my funny friend."

**Okay everybody, say it with me…**_**Awwww.**_** I decided to make 3 a female for my own personal reasons, so don't get all up on me if you think 3's a male. It's a story, and I have the right to use poetic license where I see fit. I hope I'm portraying 3 in a manner that makes sense. Later on I'll explain why 3 chose red thread to be stitched up with because there is some significance behind it…Nothing too big and dramatic, but just kind of a silly little coincidence.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is a new one for me. I've never gotten so much good feedback in such little time. I'm glad that you guys like it so much, and I want to thank you guys again. Without you guys, I certainly wouldn't be doing this.**

**It suddenly occurred to me that we are on chapter 4, and I still haven't given you a description of Addy. I'll do my best to weave a brief one into this chapter.**

**Aerith the Evenstar – Nice theory, but not quite it. You'll find out the real answer soon enough. BTW, nice name.**

**The'9'obsessor – Thanks for saying "aw" with me! I'm glad it made sense. I was afraid I was just rambling on about nothing.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything other than Addy. And that includes the music unless you count mp3 files.**

Chapter 4: Search

I stifled a scream as I shot straight-up out of bed. I was trembling. I had the nightmare again, I knew it. This time I remembered something: red. That was all. Part of me wanted to know what it was about, but I was terrified of it at the same time. If I was this afraid when I had no idea what the nightmare was about, what would happen to me if I remembered the entire thing?

Suddenly, I remembered my miniscule friend. What if I had accidently scared her? When I turned to the pillow, there was only a small divot where she had slept. "3?" Great, another disappearing act. Still shaking a little bit, I stood up and began to hunt around the room. I paused at the desk. My journal was still laying on it, still open to the page of names. My hand slowly traced those of my comrades, and then the affectionately written numbers. The war, the machines had claimed the lives of so many loved ones…A tear rolled down my cheek…I couldn't help it…I found myself drowning in a wave of grief, anger, helplessness, and cowardice. At least they were brave. They fought while I hid underground like a rat while this nightmare unfolded. _I'm nothing but a weak coward…I hate myself!_

I felt a tug on my sleeve, snapping me out of my mental abuse. 3 was holding onto my shirt and was staring into my face looking very confused. "What's wrong?" I asked, voice shaking slightly, as I knelt down so we could see eye to eye. 3 touched my wet cheek and her eyes flickered at me. I smiled sadly and shook my head. "Still don't understand, 3." 3's shoulders sagged momentarily, and then she was off. I started to wonder if she had any speed other than "fast." I looked up to see her opening a book. She hunted through the book for a moment before pointing at one word. _Rain_. Her eyes flickered again. "No, 3. It's not rain. They're tears. Crying. It's what humans do when we are sad."

And then my jaw hit the floor. "3, I believe you have just solved our language barrier problem," I said as I rummaged around on the shelf and through the desk drawers in search of a dictionary. For the rest of the morning, we worked on learning how to communicate. Rather, I learned how to communicate. 3 understood me perfectly fine; I just didn't know how to converse in flashes of light. It wasn't too hard, although 3 had to "speak" much slower for my sake. I was having so much fun, I completely lost track of time. By the end of our lesson, I had learned verbs, emotions, numbers of course, and some other useful vocabulary. I couldn't quite catch an entire sentence, but I had learned to pick up on the more important words and fill in the blanks as best I could. Nevertheless, I was very proud of myself.

Seeing as how she taught me something new, I felt the desire to show her something in return. "Wait right here," I said excitedly and dashed down the stairs to that beautiful silver flute. I took it out, blew a few quiet notes to check the tuning, and went back upstairs. I let 3 see it first. She played with a few of the keys and was fascinated by how the room was reflected in the polished metal. When she was done inspecting it, I brought the flute to my lips, checked my finger position, and played. I have always loved the flute; in my mind, those beautiful, almost fragile notes have always been unparalleled by any other instrument. I started with "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella." I'm not sure why I picked it…perhaps because of its simple yet elegant melody. Finishing it, I seamlessly shifted to Bach's "Minuet." I followed this with "Greensleeves," putting a few flourishes on some of the notes.

As the last note faded I smiled down at 3. I've never seen someone so relaxed before. She had been swaying while I played, and was now looking up at me with faraway eyes._ "Beautiful,"_ she flickered dreamily. "Glad you liked it," I replied as I sat down and started cleaning the flute.

Slowly, 3 came out of her trance and came over to me. She reached out but stopped herself. "What's wrong?" 3 glanced down, somewhat sheepishly. Then it occurred to me. I rolled my eyes good naturedly. I would have thought that by now she'd have figured out that I could never be angry with her. I lowered my head closer to the desk. "Go ahead."

Instantly, 3 was all over me; playing with my raven black hair, poking my cheeks, and examining my eyes. She was especially fascinated by my eyes. I had always considered myself as a very plain looking person, but I always got compliments on my eyes. They were tri-colored; banded with blue, hazel, and green. Granted, I soon found out that it wasn't the colors she was interested in but how light affected the pupils. She found it great fun to block out the light, causing the pupils to dilate.

At one point, she blocked only the light to my left eye. All of a sudden, she became very sad. "3, what is it?"

3 looked away from me, but I caught _"6"_ as she turned. Somehow, I had reminded her of her friend. "Talk to me, 3," I prodded.

"_6 had funny eyes," _she flickered sadly. _"I miss him. I miss my brother. I want to go home."_

I knew how that felt. I glanced out of the broken window. It was much later than I had originally thought. The sun was just touching the horizon. "It's late, but if you can tell me where to go, we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

3 stared up at me in absolute awe. _"You'd help me get home?"_

I almost laughed. "Of course I would! Why would I want to keep you away from your friends? 9, 7, and 4, right?"

"_You remembered their names!" _3 flashed excitedly.

"Obviously! I'd love to meet them. Like I said, it's getting too dark to go anywhere, but tomorrow I'm all up for looking for your friends." I stood up and scooped 3 into my hands. "In the meantime, we should figure out what to bring with us."

3 just about went bananas. I've never seen anyone so happy before. 3 instantly began racing around the desk pulling out book and all forms of baubles she had taken a liking to. "Oh this isn't going to work…" I muttered. "Okay, 3, new rules. 3, look at me…3…sit?" Dealing with 3 was a lot like dealing with a hyperactive puppy. After catching her and a bit of persuasion, I managed to get 3 to agree to bringing two books and only a few of her favorite treasures. I myself packed my books, the ones that had been gifts, a spare set of clothes, bandages, and a few days worth of food. As an afterthought, I grabbed a map that I had found in the one of desk drawers. One of 3's chosen books was on botany and the other was about zoology. The little treasures she had chosen, however, she kept hidden from me, wrapped up in a spare piece of cloth. I was curious about it, but I didn't press the matter. _Let her have a few secrets_, I reasoned, although much of who and what she was was still a mystery to me.

"Okay, anything else you can think of?"

"_Bring the flute,"_ she flickered merrily. _"You play it so beautifully."_ I felt my cheeks go red, but placed my flute into its case.

"Then if that's everything, let's go." I held out my good hand for 3 so I could carry her, but 3 had a slightly different plan. She clambered up onto my shoulder and happily settled in. _"Now we can go,"_ she flashed.

I giggled. "You are so weird. But that's why I love you," I said as I patted her little head. "Just point the way."

-----

My pint-sized friend was better source of entertainment than a guide. When we had started this trip, I figured she'd stay on my right shoulder, maybe look around a little. I should've known better. Within five minutes, 3 had figured out a way to go from shoulder to shoulder, and soon after that had repeatedly found a way to get down to the ground. I wasn't able to figure out how she did it, but 3 always came back before too long, so I let her do what she wanted to. Not that I could've controlled her anyway.

I imagine that any bystander would find these instances kind of funny to watch. I would suddenly notice the absence of weight from my shoulder, panic, and start searching frantically. Then I would see 3 excitedly scampering away and would call to her to stay close. She'd pause but wouldn't answer – well, maybe she did but I couldn't tell because her back was to me – and would vanish into a pile of rubble. The first few times she had pulled this stunt, I would chase after her in what always proved to be a futile effort. After I had learned that she would come back when she was ready to, I'd do some rummaging around myself while waiting for her to return. These little interruptions weren't all that bad. It gave me a chance to find some landmarks – or create them – so we'd be able to find our way back with 3's friends. Plus, I was able to find some pretty useful stuff – leather gloves, a heavy coat – things that would definitely come in handy. I had noticed a slight chill in the air the last few mornings. If the trend continued, I was fairly certain that there would be snow on the ground soon.

For at least the tenth time that day, 3 took off again. With a small chuckle, I began my own search through the ruins. Suddenly, 3 came flying out of nowhere and leapt into my arms, eyes flickering madly. "Whoa! Hey, what's wrong? 3, you've got to talk slower, I can't keep up with you." But 3 wouldn't slow down her flickering at all. She was scared half out of her mind. Suddenly, I recognized the area. The pile of sheet metal…and the spider monster. Without a doubt, 3 was remembering what happened, and she wanted to get away from here as soon as possible.

I was about to do exactly what she wanted, but something stopped me. I placed my friend on the ground. "3, stay put," I said with enough force that she actually obeyed me. I slowly, cautiously approached the lifeless form. I took a firm hold of the knife that was still stuck in the engine and yanked it out. I held it out defensively in front of me in case the mechanical beast came back to life, which it didn't. Before I turned away, my slowly evolving scavenger side stopped me. Each of the spiders legs were tipped with a single, sharp metal talon. If there were other monsters out there, I'd need a better way to protect 3 and myself. Perhaps I could fashion some form of weapon…

I heard a small crash from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder I saw 3 standing next to a freshly toppled pile of wreckage, tapping her foot impatiently. "Hang on. I'll be there in a sec," I called as I removed the talon from the legs. Not an easy task when I didn't have a screwdriver, but a tiny piece of scrap metal worked fairly well.

"All right, which way are we going?" I asked 3, scooping her up and depositing her on my shoulder again. She pointed. "How much further do you think we have to go?"

"_I don't know. 7 might have moved the family after we were chased by the monster," _came the reply. Her head bowed sadly. Lord, she looked so pitiful.

"Don't worry, 3. We'll find them." I paused, then smiled playfully. "Hey, 3? Hang on tight."

After making sure that she had a good hold on my hair, I ran. I wasn't a particularly fast runner, but I had endurance and agility. I could dodge, jump, and hit sharp corners with the best of them, and I could keep it up for a long time.

3 was ecstatic. She found anything new fun, and this definitely fell in the "new" category. I pretty sure if she could vocalize, she'd be laughing. Still grinning, I lengthened my stride. I pushed all doubt from my mind. We'd find 4, 7, and 9, and everything would be okay.

At last, I slowed from exhaustion and the rapidly fading sunlight. Panting slightly, I created a little lean-to and settled down under it. I pulled the books out of my satchel to make it a more comfortable pillow and used the coat as a substitute blanket. "Come on, 3. Bed time," I called, summoning her away from whatever she had found. The stitchpunk complied, cuddling up next to me and pulling one sleeve over herself. I fell asleep almost immediately.

-----

Slowly, I came out of dreamland. 3 was poking my cheek. "What is it?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

3 pointed at two books – my books. _"Those books are so sad,"_ she flickered. _"Their friends all died." _

"True, but neither Buck nor Black Beauty forgot about them, and they didn't let the loss stand in their way from living," I said softly.

3 considered this for a second before blinking, _"Like you."_ That caught me off guard, but it made sense. 3 gave me a shy smile and touched my hand before taking off again. Sighing, I got up and packed everything back up. Catching up to 3, I picked her up and placed her on my shoulder again. I started to jog.

"Today. We'll find them today. I'm sure of it," I said to 3, although a part of me was still unsure. What would her friends think of me? What if as soon as we found them, 3 decided she didn't want me anymore? I didn't want to lose her. A part of me wanted to turn back, so that she would have to stay with me forever, but I couldn't do that to 3. I would be heartbroken if someone tried to prevent me from finding my friends.

I have no idea how long I was lost in my thoughts. Suddenly, I realized 3 wasn't with me anymore. Looking down, I saw her racing up a slope. "3, where are you going?"

She turned around, beaming. _"They're here! Addy, you found them!"_

**Sorry it took me a while to get this one up. I've been dealing with college finals and two separate school plays. And I'm not sure why I kept picking Christmas songs, probably because it's the season. Remember to R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hiya, everyone! Sorry it took me a while to get this up. Hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner. I like using songs in this story, and hopefully you guys don't find it too annoying. I like using them because they're good tools for me to use to help express Addy's feelings. Each one is carefully chosen just for this purpose, kind of like a movie soundtrack.**

**While we're on the subject, the songs used in this one are "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin and "Second Star to the Right" from Disney's Peter Pan. I know that technically the movie came out in 1953 (any Disney buffs will know that), but I figured it was close enough to my 40s theme and I like the song too much.**

**And now, for the review responses. Remember, even if you aren't mentioned, you, my loyal readers, are all important to me.**

**LoneWolfPrincess – Glad you're enjoying it. I've been doing my best to keep everyone consistent and I hope I manage to continue to do so. And, your theory about the red thread was right! Well done. **

**EmoMexican – Thank you for wishing me luck on my finals. I believe it brought me luck. I understand the need for adversity, and I promise that there will be some. I'm just afraid of accidentally rushing things too much. I want to take my time on this story so you and all my other readers can get a very good feel for the characters and the world. That's important to stories as well.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't feel like typing it again.**

Chapter 5: Meetings

The others…I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad. 3 was oblivious to my internal conflict and raced on ahead. I followed but hesitated at the top of the hill. I crouched down behind a low wall, opting to just observe before joining the scene below.

At the bottom of the hill were three stitchpunks. One looked pretty much like 3, and was happily exploring through piles of rubble, studying anything even remotely interesting before setting it aside in the second something else caught its attention. Clearly, this was 4.

Sitting not too far away was a darker colored stitchpunk, made from what appeared to be burlap. On its back was a carefully drawn "9." I felt something in me twinge with sympathy. He looked very forlorn sitting there. He was making adjustments a light bulb that was on the end of a staff, although he didn't look like he was paying much attention to what he was doing.

The last one, obviously 7, was standing with her back to me and the others. Even so, her stance showed that she was extremely alert and aware of everything. She was wearing a bird skull as a helmet and was holding a scalpel, although when compared to her height it looked more like a spear. Her skin was either made from a light colored cloth or the sun had bleached the color away. Her back, and subsequently her number, had been torn and patched up with red fabric.

Hold up, red? I glanced back at 9. I noticed that his left shoulder had been stitched using red thread, unlike the black thread that held the rest of him together. Now I knew why she had been so adamant about using red thread on the tear in her leg. 3 was trying to be like 9 and 7! I almost burst out laughing.

The first to notice 3's approach was 4. He turned around and froze, confusion and joy fighting for control of his face. Joy won out and he ran to meet his sister. The two took a flying leap at each other and were instantly locked in a tight hug.

Their happy reunion caught the attention of 7 and 9. 9's dreary mood immediately lifted when he caught sight of 3. "3! You're alright!" he cried, dropping the light staff and picking her up in a hug. He happily spun her around, earning her silent laughter. When 7 had reached the family, 9 deposited 3 into the warrior's awaiting arms. 7 held her tight, in a very mothering manner, which was quite a change from the formidable figure that had been keeping an eye out for enemies. "I was so worried about you," I heard 7 say.

My heart sank a little bit. 3 was home. She found her friends, her family. I was right; 3 didn't need me anymore. I was about to turn and leave when I heard 7 say, "What friend?" I couldn't believe it. 3 was telling them about me?! Peeking out again from my hiding place, I could see 3 searching for me. Catching sight of me, she began waving frantically, beckoning me to meet the others. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but I couldn't let her down. Smiling as warmly as I could, I stood up.

I expected fear, possibly panic and confusion, but not what actually happened. Indeed, both 4 and 9's face contorted in horror as though they had seen a ghost. Which, in a way, they had. Every other human was dead, cold and still. I wasn't. 3 tried to come to me, but 9 and 4 grabbed her and pulled her back. 7 in one fluid movement pulled the skull helmet down and leaping between the other stitchpunks and me. "Get out of here!" she roared brandishing the spear.

I took a step back and practically folded in on myself. I felt like a puppy that had been scolded for no reason. Sure I wasn't expecting to be welcomed with open arms, but not such fear and hostility. It hurt a lot. And there was something about 7 that scared me. I had never seen anyone that held herself with such power and confidence the way 7 did. She was only slightly taller than 3, but she the way she carried herself 7 could have been ten feet tall. I'm not sure how much damage she could actually do to me, but I most certainly did _not_ want to test her.

I looked to 3 for guidance. She understood them; she'd know what I should do.

"_Go! I'll find you once they understand,"_ she flickered frantically. I gave her a short nod and ran.

I didn't stop until I had reached our campsite from the night before. With any luck, 3 would remember it and would be able to find me. I all but collapsed once I got there. What a mess…I hadn't even talked to the other stitchpunks and they already hated me. What if 3 couldn't convince them that I was a friend? What if I never saw her again?

_No, don't think like that,_ I berated myself. Gramps always used to tell me that if I expected the worse, that's what would happen. _Stay positive, Addy._

I tried focusing on happy thoughts, but it was much harder than it sounded. I pulled out 3's books and flipped through them for a while. I tired of them quickly, probably because I'm much more a fan of fiction than of fact, and watched the sky for a while. Not that there was much to watch. Brown clouds still blocked out the sun. Still, there was something strangely relaxing about it. It was a much better view that the bunker's ceilings, I can say that much.

As reclined onto my back, I allowed my mind to wander. I wondered if others might have found a way to survive. Not specifically humans, but anything at all. Everything was so lonely now; no birds chirping, no squirrels chattering, no nothing. Hell, at this point I'd love to hear my neighbor's old mastiff barking his head off before slobbering all over everything, or even the stray cat that used to perch in trees and would let out a soul-shattering screech before skydiving onto your back.

I chuckled at the memory and rolled onto my side. Next to me was the tiniest shoot of green grass. I smiled at it, the same way one would smile at a dear friend, and brushed away some of the sediment that was around it, uncovering some more little shoots. I remembered the florist's shop that was near my home. It probably still had seeds. Maybe I could plant a little garden. 3 would enjoy that.

I sighed, content with these thoughts, and looked back up at the sky. For the briefest moment possible, a sliver of blue sky broke that the dusty clouds before being swallowed up again. It encouraged me, practically telling me that everything was alright. I closed my eyes and began to sing softly.

"_I was blue, just as blue as I could be  
Every day was a cloudy day for me  
Then good luck came a-knocking at my door  
Skies were gray but they're not gray anymore_

"Blue skies  
Smiling at me  
Nothing but blue skies  
Do I see

"Bluebirds  
Singing a song  
Nothing but bluebirds  
All day long."

Before I knew it, I was asleep.

-~-~-

_It was too dark to see much of anything. Absolute terror gripped my heart as I ran. I didn't dare look behind me for fear that it might slow me down. Yet despite my best efforts, the screeching sound of metal only got closer. Steadily, it gained on me. I knew this thing could catch me easily, but it didn't. It was toying with me, enjoying my panic-filled flight from the inevitable. Suddenly, my foot caught on something and I went down hard. I rolled onto my back, now staring up into a single glowing red eye. A scream died in my throat as an enormous clawed hand reached for me._

-~-~-

I jolted awake, panting. That was by far not a normal dream. I didn't want to think about it, much less interpret it. Though one question managed to wriggle its way to the front of my mind: was this a dream of past events, or of future ones?

I shook my head. Don't think about that, too scary, too…unknown. Still shaking, I reached for my flute. Something about playing it always calmed me. Stilling my fingers over the keys, I closed my eyes and half-forced myself into the trance that I liked to be in when I played, the one that let me shut out the rest of the real world and all its problems. I started played, fingers somewhat stiff and my breathing a bit off, but slowly I felt myself relax, everything smoothing out. The semi-random notes I had been playing evolved into "The Second Star to the Right," and I allowed the world to completely drift away. My entire universe consisted only of music.

As I finished the song, I gently laid the flute on my lap but my eyes remained closed. I didn't want to come out of my little world just yet. The real one was dangerous and scary, mine was warm and safe.

But it was also empty. At least in the real world, there was 3.

I sighed, opening my eyes and shaking off the fog that came with my trance. I turned to put the flute back into its case to find the little stitchpunk leaning on it. "3! I didn't realize you had come back. Why didn't you tell me?"

"_You looked so happy and peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you,"_ she flickered, merry as ever. _"I brought someone."_

From behind her appeared a timid yet curious 9. I smiled. "So nice of you to join us," I said with a chuckle.

"Er…Your name is Addy, right?" 9 asked, clearly searching for some sort of a conversation starter.

I nodded and added, "It's short for Adriana. But I like being called Addy." I noticed that 9 relaxed a bit and decided to continue. "3 told me a bit about you."

9, who had been avoiding eye contact, looked up sharply. "You can talk to her?"

"To an extent, and only when she talks slow enough," I replied, shrugging.

"Impressive," 9 said. "I can't keep up with the twins at all." I took me a second to figure out that he meant 3 and 4 when he said the twins. "7, on the other hand," 9 continued, "has no trouble at all. Probably from spending so much time with them."

"Hey, speaking of 7, where is she?" I asked.

"Over there," 9 said, nodding to the left. I glanced over to see 7 standing not five feet away, watching me with hawk-like eyes. 4 was behind her, staring at 3 and flickering nervously every so often. I remembered how the two of them had embraced and realized that they had probably never spent a day of their lives away from each other until now.

"Hey, 3, why don't you go over there and wait with 4?" I said. 3 smiled and nodded happily before skittering away to join her brother. He came out of hiding to meet her. I smothered a laugh as I realized they both moved in the same fashion. The twins rejoined 7, who momentarily broke her fighter's stance to cuddle the two of them. I looked back down at 9. "Why was 3 left alone?" I said in a low tone. I wasn't trying to intimidate him, but I couldn't suppress the quick pang of anger at the state I had found 3 in.

"We didn't mean to," 9 began. "When that thing attacked us, it was an ambush. 7 was too busy fighting off half a dozen smaller spiders to notice the big one. When it attacked, it took us completely by surprise and 7 was too tired from fighting the minions to fight the big one and we were forced to run. We didn't even realize 3 was gone until it was too late. We thought she had been killed. But you found her; you saved her. Thank you."

I suddenly felt shy in front of him. "It was nothing really. Someone was in trouble, and I had to help."

"But still…" 9 started before drifting off. I nodded. I knew what he meant. I didn't have to do anything. I could have ignored what was going on, but I didn't. "Sorry for overreacting when I saw you," 9 said sheepishly.

"No worries. If I had seen something six times my height, I'd have been scared witless too." We both laughed, but I couldn't help remembering my nightmare.

Suddenly 7 appeared next to 9. "Hate to barge in, but the sun's going down. We should get home before it gets to dark." 9 nodded and stood up, only to be immediately knocked over by 3 and 4. While the three of them engaged in a tickle/hug fight, 7 locked eyes with mine. She was studying me, testing me. I wanted to shrink away from her fiery stare, but I refused to be frightened away by the stitchpunk. I wasn't going to be intimidated, but I wasn't looking for a fight either; I wanted equal footing with 7. I kept my gaze steady but soft. At last, 7 nodded almost imperceptibly, but I saw it and relaxed. I had passed the test, and 7 had accepted me. I returned the nod.

"Let's go," 7 said.

"Addy, would you like to spend the night with us?" 9 asked.

"Really?" I was mildly surprised. "I don't want to cause you any trouble or anything.

"Are you kidding me? You rescued 3! Giving you a night of shelter is the very least that we could do," 9 laughed.

"If you insist, then lead the way."

9 and 7 exchanged glances, and the warrior ran ahead of us. "Scouting for danger," 9 explained. "Come on."

I noticed 3 dragging a reluctant 4 towards me. Apparently there was one stitchpunk I hadn't quite won over yet. "3, it's okay. You and your brother have been separated for a while. You should stay with him, okay?" Still, 3 would not be swayed. I knelt down for 3 so I could pick her up, knowing that if I didn't, she'd only try to climb up my leg.

Just like that, 4 stopped resisting 3. He joined 3 in my hand and the two of them managed to settle in on the same shoulder. I gave him a curious look, but 4 only gave me a quick smile before looking away again.

I felt 7's eyes on us; she had paused at the top of the hill to take a look back at us. "What's the hold up?" she called. "Let's get moving before nightfall."

9 chuckled and looked up at me again. "Rule number one: never argue with 7." I nodded and followed my minute guides to their home.

**Not bad, eh? I'll explain next chapter why 4 suddenly decided to trust Addy, and I'll put in some fun bonding time for 7 and Addy. Ya know, girl-to-girl talk. Still, I like to hear the theories of others, so feel free to leave one when you review. Love ya all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I decided to change my penname back to what it used to be. I missed it and it matches my avatar pic, which I didn't change when I had taken a new penname.**

**Hey, I noticed something the other day: this is my ninth fanfic. Talk about coincidence.**

**In warning, this is going to be somewhat of a filler chapter. Not exactly pointless, but it won't have a whole bunch of plot points. Still, it will have some cute moments. It's kind of compressed, but it takes place over a few weeks time and focuses most on Addy's new relationship with the stitchpunks. Hopefully, it is satisfying. And NO FLAMING!**

**Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.**

Chapter 6: Family

We reached their home before sundown. It was a barn; a bit on the small side, but still in relatively good shape. The paint was faded and chipped, and there were a few sheets of metal missing from the tin roof. The double doors of the barn didn't hang on their hinges quite right anymore and there was a hole at the between them just big enough for the stitchpunks to get through. Unfortunately for me, the chain and padlock that held the doors shut were also in good shape. I ended up smashing a window and crawling in through it, much to the stitchpunks' amusement.

After that, we made our way up to the hay loft. Again, I found myself getting laughed at. The 'punks had rigged up a bucket on a pulley system, creating a crude elevator. I, on the other hand, had to contend with the world's ricketiest ladder. I could hear them giggling over top of the rungs that creaked at the slightest touch of my foot. The second I my hand touched the loft's floor, I flopped onto the deck, opting to just crawl onto it instead of walking up the rest of the ladder.

"Are you okay?" 9 asked while making a poor attempt to hide a smile.

"Oh, yeah, just fine," I gasped sarcastically.

"You afraid of heights?" I heard 7 quip from the window sill.

"No, heights don't scare me; it's the falling and landing parts that get to me."

The loft still had some bales of hay, and their scent was thick in the air. A single square window was in the wall directly across from the ladder. It was small, but not cramped. It was cozy and inviting.

3 patted my hand reassuringly before skittering off with 4 in her wake. She beckoned me to follow her and led me to a corner of the loft. There was a shoebox that was lined with woolen fabric. Next to it was a pillow and a small cushion. The assortment of objects were clearly being used as stitchpunk-sized beds.

"_The pillow's mine and 4's," _3 flickered. _"We're willing to share."_

"Thanks," I said. I was surprised by how tired I was. Luckily, 4 chose that moment to yawn.

9 smiled tenderly the twins. He suddenly reminded me of my father, always watching out for the youngsters of the family. "I was going to ask you to tell us how you managed to survive," he said to me, "but I think that can wait until the morning."

"In that case, good night," I said thankfully. 3 and 4 let me get settled first before cuddling in around me. I noticed 9 lay down in the shoebox, but I didn't see 7 go to her cushion. I was already asleep.

-----

My eyes opened. It was still night. 3 and 4 were asleep, curled so tightly together it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. I watched them for a while. I found myself no longer thinking of 3 and the other stitchpunks as mere friends. They were my family now. I felt a maternal tug at my heart. Was this what it felt like to be a mother, to be willing to die a hundred, no, a thousand times over for these two tiny forms? Maybe this is how 7 felt for the family, this desire to take on the entire world if it meant they'd be safe for another day.

Speaking of 7, I didn't see her sleeping on the cushion. Looking at the window, I saw her silhouette sitting as silent and still as a statue. Carefully, so as not to wake the twins, I got up and walked over to the window. I knelt down next to it and just stared up at the sky. I had never seen so many stars before. The moon shone silver-white, practically making 7's pale fabric glow. The two of us sat in silence for a while. It wasn't an awkward silence, just two people admiring the view of the vast night sky.

7 was the first to break the silence. "They trust you a lot." I looked at her but didn't say anything. "4's usually a bit more timid around new people. He generally follows 3's lead."

"Is that why he was quick to change his mind about me, because 3 trusts me?"

"That and what you did today." I raised an eyebrow. "4 thought you were going to take 3 away again. But you told 3 that she should stay with her brother. It was your thoughtfulness that proved you're a good person."

I looked away, gazing down at the barren land. "And what do you think about me?" 7 didn't say anything for a while. Sighing, I stood up. "Hey, it's okay–"

"Addy, it's not that I don't think you're on our side. My lack of confidence in you is just a part of who I am. My job is to defend others. I'm so used to dealing with dangerous creatures that I'm having trouble believing that we've found a friend." I guess I understood that. Being less than ten inches tall in this world had to be hard.

"Still, given time, I think I could learn to like you," 7 added. She gave me a tiny smile. My heart warmed a little. Even though it was small, that smile was genuine. I returned it.

"I can take over keeping watch for a bit so you can get some rest. If you're okay with that, of course," I offered.

7 shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm used to doing this. You, however, look exhausted. Go back to bed."

"Okay. 'Night." 7 nodded in response. I felt her eyes on me as I made my way back to the pillow, and slowly lay down so I didn't wake up the twins. She wasn't glaring at me, or even suspiciously watching me. Instead, she was watching over me. I felt safe. Snuggling deeper into the pillow, I fell asleep again.

-----

The next morning, 3 had flat out refused to let me leave. After I had told the rest the how I helped 3, they agreed with 3. So, over the next several weeks, I found a place in the little family.

3 and 4 always wanted to learn more, and that caused us to lead a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. We'd stay one place for a few days until they had decided there was nothing of interest left, and then we'd move on. Our current place of residence was a school. It was in very bad shape, seeing as how only a few classrooms had evaded total demolition. Still, if you dug through the rubble, there were lots of books. Odds are the school had had a small library, which was essentially a treasure trove to the twins. Knowing them, we'd be spending a lot of time here.

Even though 3 and 4 were practically identical looking, I had found other ways of telling the twins apart. 3 was a bit more outgoing than 4, generally the first to check out anything new. They moved in the same manner, but 3 carried herself a little bit taller than he did. 4 never spoke to me, but I didn't mind. He was still comfortable enough around me that on occasion he'd ask me for help with understanding anything he found, and sometimes he'd run to me for help before the others.

9 was a leader, and a good one at that. The others, including me, always came first. He was friendly, patient, good-natured, and welcoming, and he had that same curiosity that 3 and 4 had. Yet despite all his cheerfulness, there was something sad about 9. It was like there was something that was constantly troubling him.

7 was indeed the guardian she had told me she was. She was always silently alert, and it sometimes seemed like she was too focused on finding outside dangers that she'd forget about everything else. But as I spent more time with the family, I was able to catch those rare tender moments 7 went through, most of which were directed at the twins.

And 7 was true to her word. She had gradually warmed up to me over time. In fact, she had asked me on several occasions to take a watch shift at night. I was honored by how much faith she had in me, and I did my best to live up to that.

The place I had found within the group was, for lack of a better word, babysitter. Whenever the twins went exploring, my job was to stay with them, keep them safe, and help them. I loved it. They'd ask me questions about whatever they found, and I was more than happy to explain it to them. Every so often, they'd even start a game with me. Though the rules changed every time, the game always started with hide and seek and ended with the pair on my shoulders, hugging me as tight as they could with their little arms.

I also kept my place as entertainer. At night, I'd play my flute or sing. I told stories and fairytales, sometimes classics and others of my own creation.

I was so happy to find a place with the family. It was such a change from being trapped alone in the bunker. Strangely, I found myself forgetting what I was. Subconsciously, my mind was forgetting I was a human and starting to believe I was just a really big stitchpunk. With the family… it was where I belonged, where I had always belonged.

We never kept anything from each other, but there was one subject that was generally taboo: our pasts. None of us wanted to reawaken bad memories, so we didn't pry too much into what we had been through. On rare occasions, we would talk a little bit about it. But more often than not they'd beg to hear about life before the war with the machines. They loved to hear about how green everything was, about the birds and animals, even things like sports and movies.

A few days ago, I had asked 7 why 9 was always had a slight cheerless air about him. What she told me broke my heart. 9 believed it was his fault that the others had died. Sensing that it was a sensitive subject, I backed off. Still, something about it reminded me of my nightmare. Was I dreaming about whatever had killed the fallen stitchpunks? But what would've triggered me to dream about that?

As I poked the fire, I mulled this over in my mind. Come to think of it, I haven't had that dream ever since I joined the family. Still, it sat there in my mind, like it was waiting to catch me off guard.

"Hey, are you okay?" 9 asked me. "Lately you've been…er…"

"Out of it?" I suggested.

"Yeah, out of it. What's wrong?"

I sighed softly. "I don't think it's anything you can help me with," I said, looking down at him. "Still, I appreciate the concern," I added with a smile.

"If you want to talk about it, remember you can always come to me," 9 said. "I'm sure even 7 would be willing to listen for a while."

"Thanks. You know, you can come to me with your problems as well," I replied with a small grin.

9 studied me for a moment. He smiled but shook his head sadly. "Thanks for the offer, but some things I need to deal with myself."

"If you're sure," I started but was interrupted by the twins jumping into my lap.

"_Addy, 4's been complaining about it being too cold at night," _3 flickered. 4 instantly tackled her and a fight broke out, accompanied by the rapid-fire flickering that only the twins could understand.

"Guys," I said somewhat impatiently.

They froze, looked up at me in unison, turned back to each other and had another brief conversation. _"4 wasn't complaining,"_ 3 said to me at last, shooting a quick glare at her brother. _"Can we sleep with you tonight?"_

"But you have been," I replied, thinking back to how the pair had been moving from the pillow, which was again my satchel, to sleep on top of me during the past several nights.

"_No,"_ 3 flickered irritably, which I have to admit only made her cuter, _"I mean like the way we did back at our old home."_

"Of course you can." I settled down and lifted up the fleece blanket I had found during today's explorations. It was definitely a welcome addition to our discoveries as the nights were indeed getting increasingly colder. I found myself missing the little room above the music shop. I waited for the twins to curl up under my chin before wrapping all of us up.

At that moment, 9 came in. He had been outside talking with 7 about something. A part of me hoped that it was about his guilt problem and that 7 had helped him get over some of it. 9 noticed us and came over. "I think it's starting to snow out there."

I glanced up at the window. "Yup. Hey, is 7 still out there?" 9 nodded. "Think she'll come in soon?"

"Probably, but right now she's being stubborn." He stood looking a little dejected before hesitantly asking, "Is there any room left under there for another?"

"Absolutely," I replied and he curled up under a corner of the blanket.

I was fairly certain that my compatriots were asleep within five minutes. I was too worried about 7 to sleep. I was considering going out to find her when she came in, covered in a fine layer of snow. She brushed it off before doing a quick headcount, her almost hourly ritual.

I saw her stiffen when she didn't see anyone in their usual places. "Relax, 7. They're with me," I called softly.

7 turned sharply, and I pointed to the three little lumps that were cuddled up under the blanket. 7 nodded approvingly before she got that look again. 7 had a habit that whenever she wanted to ask something and felt embarrassed about it, her face would kind of scrunch up and she'd start to shift from foot to foot. It was kind of endearing.

Correctly guessing what was bothering her, I nodded. "The more the merrier."

"Thank you," she said as she claimed her own little section of blanket.

I surveyed the little family…my family. I loved them with all my heart and knew I'd do anything for them. At last I rested my head on the satchel. I drifted off to sleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

-----

"Keep close, you two," I called to the twins. I got a quick thumbs-up from 3 before the pair vanished into the rubble searching for anything new. 7 had gone to do some scouting and 9 was off lost in thought again somewhere.

I sat down and began making a few adjustments on my latest project. Perhaps a bit of 7's paranoia had worn off on me, but I was currently making a weapon with the talons I had pulled off of the mechanical spider. Using them, the leather gloves I had found, and some twine, I had attached the talons to the fingers. The result was some very sinister-looking claws, but they would definitely serve their purpose in close combat.

Suddenly a very loud, metallic roar sounded from the direction that 3 and 4 had gone in. Jumping up, I shouted out the warning call, hoping I was loud enough for 9 and 7 to hear. Looks like I'd be testing out my claws sooner than I had hoped.

**Yay, cliffhanger! Back to what I'm famous for! Mwa-hahaha! Anyway, I told you this was a sort of long pointless chapter, and I apologize again. Hopefully you found it mildly interesting. I promise the next one will be better. See y'all next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi. Time for the classic let's-all-feel-bad-for-the-main-character chapter. Yeehoo. This one's kinda short as well; partially because I've been trying to make sure each chapter title matches the action, and also because I couldn't keep it together while writing this. **

**But before that I want to give a quick shout out to the'9'obsessor. She (I assume it's a she; my deepest and most sincere apologies if you're a guy) has followed me closely. When I posted the last chapter, I got a review within a half hour. That's not a big deal until I realized that I posted it at 2:08 am. I thank you for your wonderful reviews, which by the way continuously crack me up every time I read them. That's not a bad thing. Thank you for your support and I hope I continue to do you proud. And, just because I have to bust your chops, here's MOAR MOAR! lol**

**And hello to you, Big Sister K. I'm glad that you are impressed. In response to your question, I found the term "stitchpunk" on Wikipedia. I love Wikipedia. You can find all sorts of weird stuff on it. **

**Final question answered for today. Somebody sent me this question but asked not to be mentioned, I guess to avoid embarrassment. This person asked "When you write, do you just type things or do you actually act it out?" Yes I do. I sit in my wheeled chair at my fancy particle board desk and I'll say things out loud, I do hand motions, I'll throw myself around, I've grabbed a mirror to study facial expressions, just about anything physical to see how it feels so I can accurately describe it in the story. So thank you for the nice question and I hope everyone has a good laugh at my expense. JK.**

**And now, on with the tear-fest!**

**Disclaimer: I doth not own ****9****, thou shalt not sueth me.**

Chapter 7: Nightmare

Pulling on my claws, I sprinted towards the roar. Rounding the remains of a wall, I almost screamed. There were at least a dozen small spider-like machines swarming all over a pile of rubble. Standing above them was the most hellish creature I'd ever seen. The machine looked like some hideous cross between a centaur and a scorpion. Standing on four spindly legs, it was as easily as tall as me. Beady red eyes glared out from a small head that was on a long thin neck. Its hands were made from knives and its tail was barbed.

I stood frozen to the spot, staring at the scene that was unfolding before me. Suddenly, I realized that 3 and 4 were trapped in the rubble and the swarm was busy trying to dig them out. The icy fear that had paralyzed me twisted into burning rage. How DARE these monstrosities try to harm my family! A feral howl ripped from my throat and I charged at the centaur. It was the boss; if I get rid of it, the swarm would leave.

The centaur stared at me for a moment before replying to my shriek with one of its own. At the command, the swarm shifted their attention from the rubble to me. They sprang as one at me. The tiny blades that were their legs dug into me. Crying out, I began swatting them off me. One of them leapt at my face. I wasn't able to get my arm up in time. Suddenly, 7 was there, her spear neatly going through the creature's body, killing it instantly.

"Get 3 and 4 and get out of here!" 7 screamed at me.

"No way!" I cried, batting another creature away.

7, with amazing speed and grace, leapt and spun, slicing the creature I had just hit in half. "I admire your bravery, but I lost 3 to these things once; I am NOT letting that happen again!" she snarled.

"And _I_," I growled, skewering another on my claws, "am NOT letting you fight alone and completely outnumbered!"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw 9 scurry to the rubble and drag out the twins. Holding onto them, he ran fast and hard to escape, dragging them behind him. Slashing at another pest, I saw the centaur lunge forward, clearly realizing it was about to lose its prey. I ran at it, hoping to put myself between it and the stitchpunks and…

…and I tripped. I fell hard and rolled. This was a lucky break for me, because it chose that moment to try to spike me on its tail. Thanks to my klutziness, the tail missed me but not by much. The centaur's tail got stuck in the ground and I took the opportunity to slice it off. The beast bellowed in rage and lunged at my face. I tried to roll out of the way but I didn't make it in time. It felt cold metal cut into the right side of my face. I screamed and kicked out, catching the creature off guard. My boot hit its chest, throwing it off of me.

I rolled and somehow, I got to my feet. "If you want someone, then come after me!" I screamed at it. Bad move. The centaur bellowed again and charged. I barely made it out of the way and started running. I could hear the creak of metal joints as it gave chase. I felt the blood pouring down my cheek, but I didn't dare stop running to try to stop the bleeding. Glancing back, I saw the creature was gaining on me.

Suddenly, my foot didn't meet ground. I toppled over a ridge, and the centaur's momentum carried it over after me. I bounced off several ledges on the way down, disorienting me and causing me to lose both my claw gloves. I hit the bottom and rolled, coming to a rest on my back, the air knocked out of me. I heard the telltale crash of metal as the creature landed not too far away. _Please let it be dead, please._

Then I heard it: the screech of twisted steel approaching. The landing had bent its joints and arms out of shape and it looked like walking caused the creature pain. But nevertheless, it steadily came towards me. Gasping for air, I tried to crabwalk away. It wasn't working. I felt a rock by my left hand. Maybe I could hit the creature in the face with it. I tried to grasp it, but the scar that was forming on my palm from when I saved 3 had limited my hand's strength and mobility. That added to my current state of pain and panic made it impossible to pick up the rock. Even if I could've picked it up, I doubt I'd have any strength to be able to throw the rock with enough force to kill it.

The right side of my face was burning, and blood was clouding my vision. The world was spinning, and I closed my eyes in hopes that I could block everything out. My mind was swimming, I couldn't think clearly. The sound of shrieking metal stopped. Forcing my eyes open, I stared up at the blurry form of the monster. I wanted to scream, but all that came out was a pitiful mewling sound. _Helpless._

The monster raised it arm, hand stained red with my blood, anxious to finish the job they had started. So this was it. This was how the last human was to die. Somehow I had figured that out, but I didn't care. I was simply in too much pain, too much fear, to care.

Then a white blur…_Such a pretty little white blur_, I thought…came into my field of vision. I watched in slow motion as those spiteful red glowing eyes suddenly went out as the creature's head was separated from its body. My eyes slid shut and I listened to the crash as the lifeless body fell to the ground.

I felt something touch my cheek and I slowly opened my eyes and turned my head to see the small white form standing next to me. _7_, my muddled mind finally supplied. She started to gently stroke my cheek.

"Shhh, Addy. It's okay. It's all over," she whispered soothingly and I suddenly realized that I was silently crying. 7 looked away sharply. "Guys, over here! Hurry!"

Struggling, I finally managed to groan, "3…where's 3?"

"She's coming. It's going to be all right," 7 said, turning back to me. I tried to raise my head only to have 7 stop me. "Easy, just relax. Lie still," she gently reprimanded. Was that…was that fear in her voice? Since when does 7 get scared?

My sight was growing dim. I felt cold, but I didn't care. I was tired…so tired…

I became aware of three more forms entering my vision. Although my eyes were failing me, I could see guilt in 9's eyes. _Why? It's not his fault._ I saw 4 hide his face in 7's shoulder, but I felt his hand touch my cheek briefly.

3 pushed her way to the front of the little crowd that had gathered. I could see the grief and horror that was etched into every part of her body. Part of me longed to reach out and hold her, to cuddle her and tell her everything was going to be okay…but I was so tired…so weak…

She slowly knelt down next to me. _"Addy…Addy, say something. Please,"_ she begged.

Not wanting to let her down, I managed to croak out "3." Then, the darkness claimed me.

-~-~-

_The shrieking sound of rusted joints filled that air, punctuated by the booming thuds as its many arms dragged it closer to me. The colossal machine slowly became visible as it approached through a cloud of dust. Its single glowing eye burned into my own eyes as it approached. I stared at it in horror as I suddenly recognized what it was. Its shape, its arms, the monster of my nightmares…I had seen it in the newspapers...the Fabrication Machine. I couldn't move, the absolute hatred in its enormous eye holding me in place. It was as though iron chains held me to the ground as a sacrifice for this mechanical god._

_Suddenly I felt a tiny pinpoint of warmth in my frozen body. _Both 3 and 7 say you're brave,_ a voice chirped somewhere in my mind. _Prove that they're right! Be brave! _The warmth spread through me. The voice was right. I had saved 3 twice. I had stood up to two different monsters. I was brave, and I could stand up to the Fabrication Machine! I would fight…I would protect my family forever!_

_The machine then roared, and at that second fear overtook my courage. I wasn't brave! I hid underground like a rat while the rest of the world fought. They may have died, but they gave their lives for what they believed in. I didn't even attempt to return to the surface with the others. I'm no hero…I'm a coward!_

_I turned and fled. I leapt over rubble and dodged debris, all of which were crushed seconds later by the Machine's giant hands. It was gaining on me and probably was close enough to grab me, but it didn't. I felt like a wounded mouse being toyed with by a cat. My death was inevitable but I wasn't ready to face that fact. My pursuer was enjoying my futile attempts to escape, merely herding me on and waiting to see if and when I'd give up._

Gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie…

_It was becoming a chant in my mind._

Gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie…

_I tripped and went sprawling on the ground. Pushing myself up and looking behind me, my blood froze. The Machine loomed over me, and I could've sworn that it was laughing at my helplessness. It grabbed me and lifted me up, examining me with that terrifying eye. Suddenly it closed and a small circle just below the eye started to glow green._

Gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie, gonnadie…

_The circle opened. _

I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

_As beams of green light came streaking at me, I screamed._

-~-~-

I opened my eyes to absolutely nothing. Everything around me was pitch black. No ground, no sky, nothing. I was floating in a void and yet somehow still laying on something solid. I pushed myself up, seeing that my hands were a pale glowing green. All of me was that same eerie green. I now understood that horrible nightmare, what had happened to the stitchpunks, what had killed five of them. They had been killed by that…that _monster_!

It wasn't fair. Not to them and not to me. I had been struck down in life, and then plunged into that ghastly nightmare, and now I was trapped here in this...this…this _nothingness_! Anger, grief, and despair welled up inside me until I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my head back and howled my pain and anguish to the nothingness, the sound instantly being swallowed up by it. There wasn't even an echo to answer me.

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to stand. My knees buckled under me and I collapsed to the ground. I curled up into a pitiful ball and buried my face into my knees. "Why me?" I sobbed, rocking myself back and forth. "What did I do wrong?" I felt my heart break for those who had been struck down by the Fabrication Machine. "Why did this happen to them? Why?"

…**So…yeah…Probably made you guys cry or at the very least feel sympathetic. If you did, then I did my job.**

**Next one will be happier and will be up soon with any luck. We've finally got to the point of the story I have completely written out in my notebook. Only a bit of fine-tuning and it will be presentable. Yay! So, unless something unforeseeable happens, the next one should be up before the end of the week. Bye-bye 'til next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**See, I got it done before Saturday, just like I promised. Aren't I nice? **

**The'9'obsessor – You are my newest best friend. Loved the play by play breakdown you gave me for my last chapter. That made me laugh so hard. But it made me feel good too. **

**Big Sister K – You are also my new best friend. I shall keep what you told me in mind. And please tell me if it becomes a Mary Sue because I'm really trying to avoid that.**

**Disclaimer: I'm running out of funny ways to say this…I don't own ****9****, unless of course you count the DVD, the t-shirt, or the figures. **

Chapter 8: Vision

I have no idea how long I sat there crying. Could've been five minutes, could've been five hours. To me, it felt like an eternity.

And then from behind me came a kindly voice. "Excuse me, are you alright?"

A wave of relief crashed over me. Someone else had found me! I whipped around and flung myself at the voice without opening my eyes. I clung to the stranger for dear life, still sobbing. I felt the stranger stiffen in surprise for a moment before arms gently encircled me. The stranger began whispering words of comfort to me.

At last the tears stopped. I sniffled and pulled away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It's just…" my voice trailed away as I stared at the stranger. Warmly smiling at me was a human sized – Or perhaps I had shrunk? – a human sized _stitchpunk_. He had the appearance of an old man. He was slightly stooped over but his eyes danced with youthful merriment. His body was held together with a shoelace that was tied at the base of his neck like a bowtie, but it gave him a very charming appearance. He glowed the same green color as I did, but unlike me he was surrounded by a mist.

His grin grew even brighter. "No need to apologize, my dear girl," he said cheerfully. I just stared at him absolutely flabbergasted. The smile dimmed slightly. "What's wrong?"

"It's been…a very long time since I've seen something the same size as me." I remembered 3's page of names. "You…you must be 2," I said uncertainly, still stunned by the whole situation.

Nodding, 2 grabbed my hands. "You've met the others?" he asked excitedly. "9 and 7 and the twins?"

"Y-yes."

"That's wonderful! Smashing!" 2 laughed, and it was the most wonderful sound in the world to me. "You must come and meet the others!" he cried, tugging at my hands.

"You mean 5 and 6–"

"And 8 and 1! Yes!" he cut in excitedly. The spry old 'punk was practically dragging me along.

"2, I…am I…dead?" I asked, not wanting to know the answer.

2 stopped pulling me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "No, no," he said with a sad smile. "This is only a dream. No, that's not the right word…" He began muttering to himself, the search for the others completely forgotten.

"It's okay, 2. I understand what you mean." I suddenly became aware that the mist had thickened slightly behind 2. Slowly a form was emerging from it, or was it being formed directly out of the mist?

"Oh, okay," 2 said before I noticed that I was looking past him. Glancing over his shoulder, 2's smile returned brighter than ever. "Ah, 5! I'd like you to meet…um…" 2 turned back to me with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"I'm Adriana, but you can call me Addy," I said, not taking my eyes off of 5. He looked a lot like 9, but he had buttons instead of the zipper…and his left eye was gone. A piece of leather had been sewn over it. He shyly stood back as though he was afraid of me. I remembered how my face was torn open by that machine. What must I look like? I wondered if that was why 5 was shrinking away from me, if he was reliving how he lost his eye.

"Adriana. Such a lovely name," 2 chirped happily, turning back to 5. "5, this is Adriana. She found 9 and the others. And Adriana, this is 5, my apprentice."

"Um, please, call me Addy," I said softly, addressing both of the stitchpunks.

2 waved off my words dismissively. "Nonsense! Why have a pretty name if it is never used?"

"You found them?" 5 asked hopefully, taking a small step towards me. I nodded. His eye brightened, and he stood up straighter. "How are they?"

"They're fine. But…I know they miss all of you terribly," I said.

5's shoulders sagged as he looked away. "I figured they would." He looked back up and gently rubbed his patch. "What…what happened to you?" he asked quietly.

Suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder. 5 let out a yelp and jumped aside. Behind him stood a small, hunched over stitchpunk. He was made from striped fabric, short hair made of yarn, mismatched eyes, and his fingers were made of pen nibs. Somehow, he was completely out of place and right where he belonged at the same time. He blinked apologetically at 5 before turning his attention to me. The stare he gave was unnerving. To me, it seemed like he had been expecting that I would come and was wondering what took me so long.

"This is 6," 2 said. He placed a hand on 6's back. "6, don't be afraid. Adriana is a friend."

6 suddenly lunged at me. The sharp pen nibs dug into my back as he clung to me desperately. I hissed softly in pain and surprise, and 6 stumbled away from me. "Sorry…s-so sorry," he stammered, looking slightly panicked. "D-don't be angry…please?" Why did he think I'd be angry? Sure, he kind of freaked me out, but still…he didn't mean to do any harm.

I reached out to 6, wanting him to understand that he wasn't in trouble. The little stitchpunk cringed as though he expected that I was going to strike him. "Hey, take it easy," I murmured, trying to smile the friendliest smile I could muster. "I'm not angry, 6. Come here." I felt like I was coaxing a skittish cat down from a tree. 6 didn't move, so I came to him and pulled him into a hug. After a moment he snuggled into me. "See? Everything's okay."

As I held 6, I became aware that something had come up behind me. Trying not to disturb 6, who was no humming contentedly, I turned my head to see another elderly stitchpunk standing with a very large one. From the few descriptions I had managed to pry out of the living 'punks, the large figure was 8, so that meant the final one was, well, 1.

1's hands were clasped behind his back and he had an air of nobility about him. The way he studied me through shrewd, narrowed eyes definitely made me feel inferior to him. He began to circle me, examining me from every angle. Strangely, there was something about him that reminded me of 7. Both of them held the same form of power, it only manifested itself differently. The power that made 7 a bit of a lone wolf made 1 cool and calculating. I felt the need to prove myself to 1 the way I had with 7, show him I wasn't a threat but I wasn't a pawn either. I stood a bit straighter and watched him from the corner of my eyes as he circled me. 1 came to a stop in front of me.

"She's strange," 8 rumbled out of the blue. "I thought Humans were supposed to be a lot bigger."

"Indeed," 1 said half-heartedly, as though he was merely humoring his giant companion. "You are very lucky," he said to me. "I had thought all the humans perished." The last line, although it could've been said in a way that would hurt me, wasn't said with any form of malice. 1 sounded more amazed than anything else. "I suppose I should welcome you," he said and placed a hand on my shoulder, which surprised me, before moving off.

8 lingered, staring down at me. Suddenly, he gave me a lopsided smile. "You're small but they like you, so you must be a good person." And with that he lumbered away to join 1.

I looked at the little semicircle that had formed around me. Again, I felt the same connection with them as I did with the twins and 9 and 7. I already knew each of them. I belonged with them.

"So tell us, Adriana," 2 interrupted my thoughts, "how did you come to meet our surviving comrades?"

"How did you survive?" 5 chimed in, before quickly adding, "If you don't mind, of course."

I chuckled softly and started with when my group went down into the bunker. I told them everything. It was almost therapeutic to tell them what I had gone through. When I got to my fight with the centaur, 5 touched his eye patch in sympathy. When he did that, I became curious about my own eye. It didn't feel like I had lost my eye, but the way he had first reacted to me made me wonder what I looked like. Still, I kept that to myself. Maybe I could ask either him or 2 about that later. "And then I woke up here," I concluded.

I felt 6 touch my arm, and I gently ruffled his hair in response. He reminded me so much of Lilith. The little stitchpunk gave me a quick smile before scampering off into the darkness, the mist that surrounded him fading away. Had I done something wrong?

As if reading my mind, 5 draped an arm around my shoulders. "Don't take it personally, Addy," he said amiably. "That's just who 6 is. Only 2 really understands him." Realizing what he had just did, he quickly removed his arm from around me and backed off, looking very self-conscious. Poor fellow, he didn't need to be so nervous around me.

2 seemed to have been lost in thought and had completely missed what had just transpired between 5, 6, and myself. When 5 backed away, he bumped into his mentor, shaking him out of his trance. The elderly stitchpunk made sure 5 was okay before turning his attention to me.

"That's quite the story," he said. "Did 9 and the others tell you what happened to us?"

I shook my head. "I never asked about it either. I didn't want to hurt their feelings."

2 nodded slightly. "That's very kind of you. Well, I don't mind talking about it. The Scientist that created the Fabrication Machine had never meant for it to be used for war. It was the Chancellor that abused it and twisted it, making it despise humanity. When it turned and started killing, the Scientist realized his mistake and, in hopes of preserving humanity, made us by giving up pieces of his own soul. What's wrong, dear girl? You look like you're about to faint!"

What 2 said sent my mind reeling. No, it couldn't be possible. I knew that he made the Machine, but the newspapers…they said that it was his fault the war started. But I knew that wasn't right, he never would've done that purposefully. He was a good man. How could I ever have doubted him?! It now made sense to me that I had felt like I already knew each of the stitchpunks. Why hadn't I figured it out by now? I should've recognized the handwriting for the numbers on the few surviving stitchpunks; he had sent me enough letters. Even the way that they were made…

"Addy!" 5's cry suddenly broke into my thoughts. I started, jumping backwards into 8, who caught me and waited until I was steady before letting go. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. You were just really out of it," 5 said quickly.

It took me a second to get my breathing under control. Without looking at any of them I said quietly, "The Scientist…he was a toymaker once."

"What? How did you know that?" 1 said sharply.

My breath hitched as I struggled to suppress the hundreds of memories that came flooding into my mind. Taking a deep breath, I finally answered. "The Scientist…your creator…he's my grandfather." I couldn't bear to look up but I knew that they were staring at me in shock. "I remember getting letters about his work on the B.R.A.I.N.; this wonderful machine that would help to restore the world. He was very proud of it, although I was never able to see the appeal of it. And then the letters became few and far between. And then he sent one that said he couldn't send anymore and told me that I should find someplace safe to hide and be quick about it too. The rebels came through my town and started recruiting people to join them. My father and brothers did, but I remembered my grandfather's warning and instead found others who would listen to me. I saw it in the newspapers, how the machines were turning against man and that the Chancellor blamed my grandfather for what was happening. One article said that he had been killed. I was only able to find a handful of others who would join me. Just before the destruction of my home began, we locked ourselves away in the bunker."

My head snapped up suddenly, hoping and seeking for some form of comfort from the others. My voice cracked when I spoke again. "I didn't know he was still alive and that he was creating you. He was alone, wasn't he? Why didn't he tell me what he was doing? I would've helped him." I felt like I was about to cry.

"Adriana, don't blame yourself," 2 said. "You had no control of the situation. Your grandfather was only trying to protect you." He tried to hug me, but I pulled away.

A new thought had entered my mind, and though it scared me, it seemed right. "You're friends miss all of you. They need you back. I'm a human, a complete soul…I can bring you back."

5's eye widened in shock, and both 8 and 1 looked stunned. 2 grabbed my hands with a force that I wouldn't have thought possible for him. "No, child. You mustn't do that. It was your grandfather's soul that made each of us the way we are. You are a different person; if you used yours, we wouldn't be the same. Besides, the others need you as well. Giving up your soul may end your life, and what your grandfather did for you would have been in vain." 2's eyes softened and he eased up on his grip. "I know that you only have the best of intentions, and we are grateful for your offer. Perhaps there is another way to bring us back. But promise me that you won't endanger your life to do so."

Slowly, I nodded. "I promise." 2 gently squeezed my hands before releasing me.

I felt 5 come up beside me. I put my arm around his shoulders, which I think surprised him a bit, but he didn't pull away. "You have got to relax," I whispered to him.

5 laughed. "2's always telling me that."

1 approached me. "You say you're going to find a way to bring us back. I'm going to hold you to that promise," he said, though not unkindly.

"Wouldn't have expected it any other way," I replied.

"Good. 8, come along." The former leader began to walk away and 8 followed but paused after a few steps.

The giant looked back at me. "Bye, little human," he rumbled before hurrying to catch up with 1, and the pair vanished the same way 6 had.

Speaking of that…"2, where's 6?" I felt a small tug on my free arm. Looking down, 6 stood still holding onto my sleeve. "Nevermind," I quipped, letting go of 5. 2 and 5 chuckled. I noticed that 6 was carrying a rolled up paper that was about half his size.

"I…I have s-something for you," 6 said and pressed the paper into my hands. He paused and then threw himself at me, clinging to me for all that he was worth. "D-don't forget, 10," he said before vanishing back into the darkness.

"'10'?" I repeated, slightly shaken by what had just happened.

"It seems to me that 6 has accepted you into our little group," 2 chuckled.

I felt something tug at my heart. This "tug" hurt a little bit, kind of like that tug your get from having to wake up from a really good dream; partially regret and partially excitement. I needed to be with the others again, and the tug was calling me back. "You should go," 2 said kindly, as though he knew what I had just felt.

I suddenly remembered something I had wanted to ask him. "9 blames himself for what happened. He's still really guilty about it and–," I started but 2's laughter cut me off.

"That boy," he said, shaking his head. "I knew he would. He really doesn't need to. I thought we had made our peace with him before departing to this place, but I guess I was wrong. I'm not angry with him; none of us are."

"I'm certainly not angry," 5 chipped in. "9 made a mistake, but we all do."

I felt another tug, this time stronger than before. I wanted to go back, but I still wasn't done here yet. "5? Please tell me. What does my face look like?"

5 looked away and I was afraid I had offended him. "You have three long gashes going across the right side of your face, right across your eye." Looking back up at me, he gestured with his hand, drawing a line that started at his forehead and ended on his cheek.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, 5. I'm sorry. I know that was hard for you, but I needed to know."

He nodded slightly. "I understand how it feels," he said, glancing at 2.

I felt the tug come again, and this time it actually caused me to flinch. "I guess it's time for me to go back."

"Tell the others that we miss them," 5 said.

"And tell 9 that he isn't in trouble with any of us," 2 added.

I shook my head and smiled. "You can tell him that for yourself. I promised that I would find a way to bring all of you back, and I will keep it."

"You're a good girl," 2 said. "Don't forget that little promise you made to me either."

"I won't. Well, see you around."

Mentor and apprentice nodded their good-byes as the green mist intensified and then turned white.

"_Addy? Addy! 7, she's waking up!"_

**There. Long, good (hopefully ^^'), lots of plot. Hopefully this one made up for the very short last chapter. And hopefully I portrayed them in a believable manner. I'm really nice to 1 in this because as big of a jerk that he was (until the very end of the movie), I could never bring myself to hate him. **

**I make no promises, but I'll try to post a picture of Addy sometime on DeviantArt. I scribbled out a really quick one on the back of my notebook one time. It's not great, but I like it. I'll tell you if/when I do it. Buh-bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Greetings, dear readers. Welcome back, old friends. Glad you're here, new friends. You know who you are.**

**Hey, it's chapter 9 of my 9 fanfic! Numbers! Sorry, I'm insane, I can't help it. **

**So we've now come to a turning/plot point (yay!) and is thusly a long chapter (for me anyway). You guys are either going to love me or hate me for the end of this chapter. Hey, Big Sister K, remember that controversial idea I was telling you about? Here it is!**

**Disclaimer: Still can't claim anything except for Addy. Sorry.**

Chapter 9: Chances

"Addy! Are you okay? Say something!" 9 sounded frantic, making me wonder how long I had actually been unconscious for.

"Stop shouting in my ear," I moaned irritably. "My head hurts enough as it is."

"Oops, sorry."

I heard the approaching footsteps of the others; 7's light and quick, 3 and 4's slightly uneven but perfectly in unison with each other. Then I felt a small weight on my chest. A smile played across my lips. _3. _I attempted to open my eyes only to be blinded by the bright sunlight. Hissing in pain, I snapped them shut again. But "How long have I been out?" My voice sounded gravelly and rough from disuse.

"About two days," came the response from 7. "How are you feeling?"

"Very sore," I sighed, bringing my hand up to my face. There was cloth covering up the right side of my face, but as my fingers explored I realized it covered up a much larger injury than 5 had described to me. My fingers tightened on it.

"No, don't take it off," I heard 9 say. "3 did that in hopes that it would help heal faster."

"Pretend I know what I'm doing," I said as I slowly peeled the cloth off of my face.

I tried to open my eyes again, much more slowly this time, allowing them to adjust. They struggled to focus for a moment before the hazy forms sharpened into my friends; 3 on my chest and the others anxiously gathered by my left shoulder. I sat up, cradling my still aching head with one hand and steadying 3 with the other. Looking around, I saw that my family had set up a makeshift campsite, complete with a still smoldering fire. There was a thin layer of frost that covered the ground. Winter was definitely coming. We'd have to find a more permanent shelter. Maybe we could go back to my old home at the store.

But first things first; I needed to see what I looked like for myself. I noticed a shard of a broken mirror not too far away. "Hey, 7? Think you can get that over to me?"

Both she and 9 sprang to do as I asked. 4, however, was focusing on how he could join his sister on my lap. As soon as he found a way up, 4 paused and looked up into my face. _"Glad you're okay,"_ came the hesitant flickering. It was slightly hard to decipher his words seeing as how he hadn't quite figured out how slow he needed to go for me to understand, but I managed to decipher it.

My heart warmed at 4's first words to me. "Please. It's going to take a lot more than a hunk of metal to keep me away from you guys," I said, playfully rubbing the top of 4's head with a finger. He had the same silent laughter as 3 did. As the pair cuddled into me, I felt 9 and 7 at my side again, and I took the shard from them. "Thanks."

Though the shard was small, only about the size of my palm, I could still see that 5 had sugar-coated his description. He had only drawn a somewhat short vertical line. In reality, the gashes started above my left eye and ran diagonally across my face, ending on the right side just above my jaw. I hadn't lost my right eye thankfully, but the three gashes would never heal properly; they would become scars, and ugly ones at that. I'm not a vain person. Having scars didn't bother me because I wouldn't have a perfect face. They bothered me because I would look frightening. I didn't want to scare anyone. What if when I found a way to revive the fallen that my scars terrified 6? I didn't want to do that!

"Damn it," I hissed suddenly. I had remembered the paper 6 had given me. I never looked at it. _"D-don't forget."_ That's what he had said. _Way to go, moron,_ my cynical side snarled at me. _Can't even make it for ten seconds, can ya?_

Still, I had made a promise to 6 and the others. I would find a way to bring them back. Mental abuse would have to wait until later. If I had any hope of restoring the others, I'd first have to learn how my grandfather gave them life in the first place. "9, I have a strange question," I said, setting the mirror aside. 9 gazed at me expectantly, encouragingly. "Do you think you can bring me to where you were created?"

All four stitchpunks looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted a second head. "What? Why would you need to go there?" 9 asked, clearly confused.

I bit my lip. I wanted to tell them all about my vision, but at the same time I was afraid of getting their hopes up only to crush them. "It's…hard to explain. I just need to get there," I finally said. "I know it's a lousy explanation, but you just need to trust me on this."

9 studied me for a moment before looking up at the sky. His shoulders sagged slightly but he nodded. "I know where it is, and I can lead you to it, but the First Room isn't nearby; it will probably take us a day and a half at the very least," he warned.

"Thank you, 9. You have no idea how much this means to me." _And to you as well,_ I silently added.

"Now hold on," 7 interjected. She looked at me pointedly. "You got your face sliced open and thrown off a cliff. Then you passed out for two days. And _now_ you want to go on a hiking trip?!" she half-yelled at me. Her eyes and voice softened. "Addy, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't think this trip will do you any good. None of us want to see you get worse."

Leave it to 7 to show her worry through scolding first. "7, I appreciate your concern. But I have to get to this 'First Room' as soon as possible. I think I'll be fine if we take it slow. I wish I could tell you more, but even I don't really understand why I need to get there myself." I was pleading with her. If she didn't agree to let me go, 9 wouldn't agree to take me. The family had an odd hierarchy like this, but I had gathered that even though 9 was the leader, he trusted 7's instincts more than his own.

"Fine," 7 said at last, although she didn't sound totally convinced. "But you better tell us when you need to stop and rest. I don't want you passing out again," she warned, and while she tried to sound tough, I could hear the worry in her voice.

"Will do." I looked down at the twins. "Riding or walking?" Their reply was to scramble up to my shoulders and settle in. I rolled my eyes with a small smile on my face. Those two could make me feel better no matter what. Just having them with me, ever trusting, gave me the strength I needed right then to get up_, _and though I felt dizzy for a moment, it soon passed and I managed to keep from dropping to my knees.

"Ready?" 9 asked.

"Lead that way," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

-----

I found myself agreeing with 7 within a few hours. My entire body was sore and my muscles were stiff and a little weak from lack of use. Still, I didn't want to admit that she was right. What can I say? I've got a stubborn streak.

3, who was very in tune with me, had picked up on my exhaustion and told me several times to stop and rest. In the end, I listened to her advice. Our rest breaks became more and more frequent as time progressed. My family had often recommended that we put the journey on hold until I had completely recovered, but I was adamant about getting to the 'First Room,' my grandfather's workshop, as soon as possible. Although they still didn't understand my need, they didn't question me. It didn't even feel like they were just humoring me. They supported me, and words simply cannot describe how much that helped and comforted me.

Even so, I had agreed to go slower so I could conserve more of my strength, a decision that doubled the trip time to three days. Along the way, the stitchpunks told me the full story of what had happened. 3 and 4 helped in the most surprising way. 4's eyes projected short movies or clippings from various documents. The first time he did it, I panicked thinking that something was horribly wrong with him. But once I understood what was going on, I was absolutely blown away. It did tire him out quite a bit, but 3 would be there, supporting him and helping him to recover.

My heart went out to 9. After hearing everything…no wonder he felt so guilty. I desperately wanted to take the burden away from him. He had carried it alone for far too long. I suddenly smiled inwardly. With any luck, I would in fact be relieving that guilt very soon.

When we reached the building that had the First Room, I was amazed at the condition it and the surrounding area were in. The city was practically leveled. But the building that held the First Room…the first and second floors were gone, save for the support beams. But the attic was almost untouched. Even the stairway leading up to it was in good shape, only missing a few steps here and there. I stared up at it for a minute, mesmerized by it. That was where he hid for so long, making these little dolls to keep humanity alive. A part of me felt like I was trespassing on sacred ground or something. When I looked down, I sort of realized I was. On the ground were the ashes from a fire, five lines meeting at the center of a pit. This must be where my family held the final funeral, where they said good-bye to the five souls.

I knelt down so 3 and 4 could safely get off of their perches. The twins drew close to 7 and 9 for comfort. I watched them for a moment, my own thoughts with those that had followed me down into the bunker. I failed them. I was supposed to keep them safe, but they had all left…and none of them ever came back. I should've fought harder to get them to stay. I should've gone with them and protected them.

I looked back up at the attic. I had to go up there alone. 9 said that my grandfather's body was still there. I didn't know how I'd react to it, but I didn't want my family to be there for it. I looked around the area again and I suddenly recognized it even in this state. In fact, it wasn't too far from where I had been living in the music store. In fact, it should be less than a half-hour's walk from here…

I didn't want to interrupt the stitchpunks, but a part of me really wanted to go up to the attic and get whatever awaited me over with. "3?" My dearest friend gazed up at me with solemn eyes. "You remember where we lived, right?"

"_The music shop?"_

"Yes. You and the others need to go there." Four pairs of eyes now stared at me in astonishment. I did my best to ignore the looks they were giving me and drew a quick map on the ground. "Catalog it so you don't forget. You should be able to get there fairly quickly," I said, sadness creeping into my voice. I really didn't want to go on alone, but it was just one of those things I had to do.

The twins stared at me for a moment, confused. After all, I said one thing but was clearly feeling the exact opposite. But then they nodded and both cataloged my drawing.

9 touched my hand. "Addy, we'll come with you. It's okay."

"Yeah, you don't have to do this alone," 7 added.

I smiled sadly. "No, you can't come with me. Remember what I said before, you just need to trust me." They still didn't look like they believed me. "I'll see you later tonight, tomorrow morning at the very latest," I promised.

Finally they nodded. "Take care of yourself," 9 said, touching my hand. Both 3 and 4 gave me one last pleading look before taking the lead of the little group.

"Are you sure, Addy?" 7 asked. I looked at her pointedly, and she held up her hands in mock defense. "Okay, okay. I was just making sure." She smiled at me affectionately before following the others.

I watched them go for a moment before starting my ascent up the stairs. I hesitated at the top, not sure if I really wanted to go in. But it was too late. I had said I would do this and I wasn't going back. I opened the door.

The room was an absolute disaster zone. Papers and books were strewn all over the place. There were multiple shelves crammed with even more books, boxes, beakers, and other odds and ends. There was an old dusty cot in one corner of the room next to a chalkboard with all sorts of equations written across it. I was always amazed how sloppy my grandfather's normally tidy handwriting got whenever he was excited. There was a toolbox, several piles of fabric, and bits and pieces of metal, gears, nuts, and bolts next to the blackboard. Upon the table at the far end of the room was a strange circular contraption. It was basically a large short tube, maybe a foot and a half in diameter, with three metal rods that met at the center where a small disk was. Stranger than that was what appeared to be a mask on a hinge that was attached to the table directly in front of the contraption. I saw all of this from the light provided by a single window.

But what made me freeze was the still form in the center of the room. Time had not been kind to his corpse. Bones gauntly jutted out beneath his pale gray skin, the once well fitting lab coat now draped over his body like a sheet. But I knew who it was. I sank to my knees next to my grandfather. I had seen more dead bodies than I could count and none of them affected me the way his did.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes. How could this happen? He, who had been a dear man and a wonderful toymaker, who had brought so many children joy and their families smiles, now be laying here, alone, forgotten, perhaps even hated by the very people who had once loved him. He tried so hard to right his wrongs, and no one ever knew that. He deserved better than this. He deserved respect. I pulled a sheet off of the cot and carefully wrapped him up in it, trying not to look at his face. I wanted to remember him the way he was when I was a little girl, his cheeks rosy from laughing too much and his eyes full of pure compassion for others.

It suddenly occurred to me that it would be impossible for me to get him down the stairs. Instead, I somehow managed to get him to the cot andcovered him up with the remaining blankets. While it wasn't traditional by any means, at least I felt I had honored him somehow.

With that taken care of, my mind was free to focus on finding a way to revive the stitchpunks. I noticed that the papers that were strewn across the floor were blueprints. Examining them, I recognized each of the 'punks. These would definitely be helpful when I made new bodies. I also found several blueprints for the B.R.A.I.N. While I knew that it was the driving force behind the Fabrication Machine, they didn't look anything like that monster from my nightmares. Oddly, they looked sort of…cute almost.

_Gah!_ What was I thinking?! Everything that had happened was that thing's fault! It didn't deserve my sympathy!

I put the blueprints on the table and walked to the window. I was surprised by how far I could see without all of the buildings in the way. Off in the distance, if I squinted, I could see an ominous black form. Oh no. Another machine? I suddenly laughed. It was a machine, but I didn't have to worry about it. It was the lifeless corpse of the Fabrication Machine.

As I turned away from the window, my hand knocked several books to the floor. One of them had the same symbols on it that were on the thing 9 had shown me. I think he called it the Talisman. The other one was bound in red leather. Flipping through a few pages, I realized it was his journal.

I sat down at the table that had the strange contraption and the mask attached to it, taking a quick second to look at both more closely. The little disk that was where the rods met had three prongs. Obviously something was supposed to go there. I wasn't sure what, but judging from the size of the disk, I assumed that the Talisman went there. The mask itself was engraved with more symbols that were similar to those on the Talisman and the book I had found. While I probably should've started my research with the book, my curiosity took over and I began to read from his journal.

The more I read, the more I found myself actually feeling bad for the B.R.A.I.N. All of a sudden, I had trouble thinking of it as the monster that had destroyed everything. It was intelligent, clever even, a gift given to it by my grandfather. In a sense, the B.R.A.I.N. was a part of him the same way that the stitchpunks were all parts of him. He had treated it as his own child, ever proud of it. And then it was ripped away from him, tortured and twisted as the Fabrication Machine, and then it snapped and killed every living thing. I looked back out the window at the black form of the Machine's shell, now even harder to spot in the dim light of dusk. If it hadn't been abused, if it had been allowed to stay with my grandfather, would this chaos have occurred?

Lighting a candle, I continued to read more from his journal. I was tired, but I didn't want to stop reading. I couldn't stop. I still hadn't even looked at the other book. I guess I was afraid to look. What if there wasn't a way to bring them back? What if when I tried, I failed?

My eyelids were drooping. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

-~-~-

_I sat alone on top of a peaceful hill, leaning against an old oak tree. A light breeze stirred the leaves and the grass, creating a soothing rustling sound. I sighed. I hadn't felt this content in a long time. I suddenly realized I was clutching something. Opening my hand, I found the paper 6 had given to me, now just a little scrap. I smiled. Looks like I had been given a second chance. Carefully unrolling it, I looked at the picture that 6 had drawn for me. _

_There I was on the paper, standing protectively over six tiny figures while three more perched on my shoulders. Each one had a form of unique mark, except for two of them, of course. I smiled as recognized the ones on my shoulders and 3, 4, and 6. Looks like 6 believed I would succeed. I felt some of my worry leave me, just knowing that someone had faith in me. _

_And then I noticed something odd about the picture. I wasn't looking at any of the stitchpunks. Instead, I was looking at a round form, my hand extended welcomingly towards it. I recognized it from the blueprints I had found. I couldn't believe it. I was inviting the B.R.A.I.N. to join us. _

_No way. Why was I doing that? It caused everything – _

No, it didn't_, a tiny voice said. _Yes, it was its actions that led to the end, but like you asked yourself before, what if it had never been abused? It obviously had some form of compassion towards your grandfather; that room is still intact even though everything else was demolished. It didn't harm him. What if it isn't all bad? What if you gave it a second chance?

_A second chance…My grandfather had given humanity a second chance by making the stitchpunks, and had given me a second chance by telling me to get somewhere safe. 6 gave me a second chance to see his picture. I was about to give a second chance to the stitchpunks. Maybe…maybe the B.R.A.I.N. also deserved a second chance…_

**Gasp! What is Addy thinking?! Wait, why am I asking you? I'm the author!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello. This one was a little rushed, and with any luck it's good. I promised a friend I'd get it up today, so I didn't get as big of a chance to double-check everything like I usually do. **

**I wish to say a big hello to CreativeJournalist. You are absolutely adorable! I loved those reviews. I laughed, but I swear it was with you and not at you. Thank you!**

**Remember to read the note at the end (I'm sure you will, but I just need to make sure).**

**Disclaimer: You really think my ownership status has changed?**

Chapter 10: 2

My eyes fluttered open. I stared groggily out of the window for a few minutes before it finally registered that the sun was rising. I leaned back in the chair, stretching my back. I looked down at the desk and sighed disappointedly. I had learned a lot, but nothing that would help me at all. It didn't help matters at all that I couldn't get that dream out of my head. 6 didn't really think it was a good idea for me to bring back the BRAIN, did he? I guess I did feel bad for it, and I guess a part of me did feel the need to bring it back as well, but seriously? That thing was what took him and the others out! Yet he drew me with it…_us_ with it.

The entire thing was giving me a headache. I shoved it to the back of my mind. I'll deal with it later; right now I needed to find an answer and I needed to get back to my family. They must be worried sick about me by now.

I closed my grandfather's journal and picked up the book with the strange symbols on it. I began pacing the room, flipping through the pages, skimming the text for anything that looked useful.

I paused on a page with a picture that looked a lot like the Talisman, and on the page opposite it a drawing of a man looking through a mask and a small figure in front of him being brought to life. I turned to gaze at the mask and the circular thing on the table, the Transfer Device as I had learned it was called from the journal. That was how he brought them to life…I shivered slightly at the thought of actually having parts of your soul sucked out nine times. Not to seem selfish, but I really didn't want to go through that. I was afraid. What if that was the only way? Not only would it mean going through that, but I'd also have to break my promise to 2. I really, _really_ didn't want to do that, but I couldn't let everyone down either…I was getting pulled in so many different directions…So much I should do and couldn't do and wanted to do and didn't want to do…Oh, what to do?

I was so flustered I almost missed the paperclip that was on the corner of the right page. _Almost._ Flipping it, I saw that the clip was holding a small folded piece of paper. Taking it, I unfolded the brittle piece. It was very faded, but I could make out the handwriting as my grandfather's. It was basically a summary of what was needed to accomplish the transference of a soul. But it was what was on the back that was important to me. From what I could make out, it said that a soul would be attracted to anything – no matter how small that thing was – that was like itself. So, for example, if I made a new body for 2 and put a tiny fragment of my soul into it that was just as charming and as kind as he was, the part of my grandfather's soul that was 2 would be attracted to the new body. As uncertain as I was about it, it did make sense…I think. But what other choice did I have than to try this out?

I nodded to myself. I would do it, but I was still missing one piece of the puzzle: the Talisman. I'd need to get 9 to agree with my plan, and it wouldn't hurt to have my family with me for this; I always feel stronger when I'm with them.

-----

The second I entered the shop, I got attacked by two very low-flying blue objects. "Hey, guys," I said happily as the twins hugged my ankles.

"_We missed you!" _3 flickered up at me.

"_3 couldn't sleep and cried all night," _4 added.

"_Did not!"_ 3 rounded on her brother.

4 looked at her with a mischievous grin and began mimicking crying. 3 pounced on him and the pair began wrestling. I couldn't help but laugh at them.

"Okay, you two, that's enough," I heard 7 say. Looking up from the miniature dust cloud that had formed at my feet, I saw her and 9 both making their ways down the stairs. She came up next to the fight and stood watching for a few moments before just reaching in and catching both of them. How she could see either of them was beyond me, because all I saw was the occasional arm or leg and that was it. "Now, what was that all about?" she asked the still struggling twins. The pair began explaining using the rapid-fire flickering I was fairly certain I'd never be able to understand. 7, on the other hand, seemed to understand all of it and nodded knowingly, but I picked up on a playful glint in her eyes.

"So what happened?" 9 asked me, seeing as how 7 was still tied up with the twins.

"4 accused 3 of crying all night and she denied it, and then he kept picking on her, so she tackled him," I said, still giggling.

9 and 7 exchanged humored glances before 9 said, "Well if my memory serves correctly, both of them couldn't sleep."

At the look on 3 and 4's face, I smacked my hand over my mouth to keep from busting out laughing again. They both looked just about ready to gang up on 7 and 9. Struggling to keep my composure, I knelt down next to him. "If it helps at all, I missed you, too." I picked the pair of them up and hugged them. They returned it, their little arms encircling my neck as they nuzzled into me.

"We were all worried about you," 9 said earnestly. "When you didn't show up last night, it did scare us a bit. What happened?"

I sighed and told them everything; the vision I had when I was unconscious, the things from the journal, my dream (although I did omit the part about the BRAIN, I still wasn't completely sure about that), and about the scrap of paper. "I'm pretty sure I can bring the others back, but I can't do it alone. I need your help," I finished.

They all stared at me. "Addy, why didn't you tell us this before?" 7 asked. She didn't sound accusatory, just confused, and possibly a little hurt, like she believed I had kept it all a secret because I didn't trust them or something.

"I was…I was afraid that if I told you, you'd get your hopes up, and then if I failed, I would've let you down," I said sincerely. "I'm sorry."

I felt 3 and 4, who had shifted to my shoulders when I was telling everyone what had happened, hug my neck again.

"Addy, you don't need to worry about that," 9 said. "You could never let any of us down." I looked at him, confused. "Addy, everything that you do is always in the best of interest of others. Ever since we met you, that's all you've ever done."

"We'd never be angry with you if you 'failed' because you're a good person and friend," 7 added.

I smiled. This was exactly why I needed them to be with me. "Thanks, guys." I paused, taking a moment to gather myself. "Shall we go?"

"We're ready if you are," 9 said.

-----

I had kind of made the decision to bring back 2 first.

"I don't think 1's going to be happy about that," 7 had quipped when I told them the plan.

"Yeah, and 2 will be more likely to forgive me if I mess up," I replied.

"You really have this guilt problem, don't you?" 9 said.

"Look who's talking," I muttered. Judging by the look on his face, obviously 9 had heard me. "Oh, 9, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just really nervous."

"It's okay; I understand," he said.

At first I thought that I might be able to perfect my grandfather's designs but quickly abandoned it. It was their little imperfections that made them just right. The others helped me out, finding just the right bits and pieces that were needed.

"How does he look?" I asked as I tied 2's shoelace bow.

"Looks just like him," 7 said.

I noticed that 9 was fidgeting slightly. I knew that he felt the worst about 2's death.

"Don't worry so much, 9. Everything's going to be fine." I shoved my own uncertainty aside. I hooked 2 up to the Transfer Device. "9, the Talisman." I held out my hand. His fingers traced the designs before he handed it to me. I tried to keep my hands from trembling as I placed it into its slot. It glowed a faint green, ready for…me.

I felt 7 touch my arm. "Addy, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. We won't be upset."

I was terrified, but I shook my head. "I said I was going to do this, and I will," I whispered. _Come on, Addy, you can do this. It's not even a full part of your soul, just a tiny piece. It probably won't hurt too much._

I focused on what made 2 who he was, everything the others had told me and everything from my vision; charm, thoughtfulness, kindness, creativity. Keeping all of that at the very front of my mind, I brought the mask up to my face. I flinched as the Talisman snapped open and the green light entered the mask. The world went black.

I was horribly, horribly wrong. It hurt _a lot_. It felt like someone had grabbed my heart and was squeezing it and tugging it. I saw the green that was my soul trying to leave me. Mentally, I tightened my grip on my soul, holding it back and only allowing a tiny seed to leave me. It was difficult because I desperately wanted to give more of my soul than just that little bit, but I knew I shouldn't do that. The pain intensified as the seed suddenly broke away from the rest of me. I wanted to vocalize my agony but couldn't, only making everything even worse.

And then it was over. I was absolutely drained. Unable to keep myself up, I toppled out of the chair. I lay on the floor, trying to catch my breath. I felt the squeezing feeling in my chest slowly dissipate, and it wasn't until it was completely gone that I sat up.

"Did it work?" I asked, still dazed. I didn't get an answer. I grabbed the table and pulled myself up, to see 2's unmoving body still in the Transfer Device. "No," I whispered. This couldn't happen. 2 still didn't move. "No…NO!" I dropped to the floor again and buried my face in my hands, sobbing silently. I had failed. I had failed _everyone_! I could hear 7 and 9 calling to me, but I ignored them. I couldn't bear to look at them. Suddenly, they stopped.

"Um, could somebody help me down from here?"

My head snapped up. I peeked over the table again. 9, 7, and the twins were gawking at the device. Still in the center was 2, gazing about the room with a look of absolute astonishment on his face. "Fascinating," I heard him murmur. Then he noticed me and a warm smile came across his face. "I knew I'd see you again," he said. "Could you give me a hand?"

Still not quite believing what happened, I removed him from the device and set him down on the table with the others. I knelt down again so I could be on their level again.

The twins had instantly pounced on 2, cataloging and hugging him at the same time. "Yes, yes, hello to you, too!" he laughed.

7 joined in, making a small place for herself at his side, steadying him since the twins had pretty much gone bananas. 9 stood back, still uncertain, but 2 beckoned him in, persuading him to join the little reunion. That was all it took for 9, and I could see him practically lighten. He had finally figured out that he had been forgiven a long time ago.

I did it. 2 really was back. I felt another tear roll down my cheek.

2 noticed and gently removed himself from the others, although the twins remained firmly in place. "My dear girl, both times we've met, you've been crying," 2 said kindly. "What is it this time, Adriana?"

I wanted to answer, but I was too choked up from everything. "When you didn't wake up after the transfer, she thought it was her fault," 9 answered for me. "Plus the whole transfer itself probably didn't help matters much. Are you okay, Addy?"

I nodded. "What happened?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," 2 chuckled, "but since you beat me to it, I was with the others when I felt something calling to me. They didn't seem to notice anything different, only me. I went to investigate and it led me to a bright light, and then I was here." The twins had finally settled down and came to check on me instead. The pair of them moved up to my shoulders, trying to comfort me. "How did you do it?" 2 asked, wonder in his voice.

I gave him a quick rundown of everything. "I still need to bring back the others. We should get started," I said tiredly. Even though I was exhausted, I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to go through that another four times.

"No, we shouldn't," 7 and 9 said in unison.

"You need to rest," 7 finished. The others nodded in agreement, and to be honest, sleep was a very attractive idea to me.

In the end, I curled up in a corner with 3 and 4 still with me. As I drifted off, I listened to 2, 7, and 9 talking softly. It was soothing even though I couldn't understand much of what they were saying. I felt more reassured now than I had in a long time. Yes, everything would be fine.

**Hopefully that wasn't absolute crap. **

**Audience participation time! Who do you want next? I'll try to get all of the stitchpunks in the next chapter, but I kinda/sorta need an order to do it in. It's up to you guys, so leave your choices in a review or a message! See ya next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, everyone! I decided to do something a little different this time around and made a video response to your wonderful reviews. I thought it might be fun for me to do and you to see. So here's the link, just remember to remove the spaces: http:// www . youtube . com/ watch?v=0zydhwAvJ_Q**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**Just as a warning, the chapters might be a bit slower to come up because college classes just started up again, so I'm going to be a little sidetracked until I figure it all out. **

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything other than Addy. Yes, I'm sure. No, I don't want to buy any Encyclopedias…Oops, sorry, that last one was directed at the salesman who's been standing outside for the last 20 minutes. GO AWAY, YOU STALKER!!**

Chapter 11: Revived

"Thank you, 3," I said, taking the button from her. I began neatly stitching it to 5's new body. 2 had requested that 5 be brought back next because he said his apprentice would be concerned over his sudden disappearance. 7 had put it slightly differently to me later on. "5's probably having a massive nervous breakdown right about now."

2 was currently watching me as I worked. "I'm very impressed," he said to me as I cut the thread. "You have quite an eye for detail." I didn't reply, ducking my head in embarrassment instead. He had been handing out compliments like this all day. I really wasn't used to that, and as good as it made me feel, it also made me very self-conscious.

I paused to observe my work. It _did_ look almost exactly like the 5 in my vision, save for one thing. I had restored his left eye. He deserved it.

I placed 5 in the Transfer Device. I took a deep breath, mentally readying myself. "I'm ready."

7 and 9 came to the desk from where they had been on the window sill; the two of them had been spending a lot of time together lately. I never said anything about it because I was fairly certain that 7 would find away to get back at me.

I watched the warrior place herself half behind 2, and it suddenly occurred to me that this would be new for him. He had been the first to die; he never saw a soul being sucked out from a friend the way the others had multiple times. 7 was prepared to steady the kind stitchpunk if what was about to happen scared him.

9, who had requested that I return the Talisman to him after each restored life, handed the tiny object to me. As I placed it into the slot, I gathered what made 5's spirit into the front of my mind. As the journal had said, he was a pure being, loyal, trustworthy, a true friend. Fearful, maybe, but that wasn't a bad thing either.

I brought the mask to my face. Knowing what was about to happen had allowed me to steel myself. Of course, that doesn't mean it was any less painful; I still had the same struggle to keep most of my soul back. But at least this time when the transfer was done I didn't fall to the floor. I did however collapse onto the desk. My arms trembled as I pushed myself back up. As I reached up to remove 5 from the device, I caught a glimpse of 2 from the corner of my eye. He was practically hanging off of 7 and staring at me with a mixture of horror and sadness on his face.

"I'm fine, 2. Really. I'm just tired, that's all," I panted, attempting – and probably failing – to comfort the inventor. I gently cradled 5 in my hands. He still hadn't woken up yet, but if 2's return was anything to go by, he would be soon.

After a minute went by, 5's eyes blinked open. He stared up at me for a moment, slightly groggy, as though he had only been asleep for a while. "Addy?" he finally mumbled. "You look…different."

I raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, I suppose I'm bigger for a start," I teased.

"No, that's not it," he said with a small chuckle. The bemused look came back to his face. He raised a hand and touched where his patch should have been. The puzzled look became one of amazement when he realized what I had done. "My eye…"

Remembering a story 9 had told me, I grinned. "I hope it doesn't break your concentration too much."

"No," he laughed, "this should do just fine." 5 sat up and looked around. "Does this mean…Is 2 here?"

"Yes," I said, placing a now very excited 5 on the table. Before he could make it to 2, he was tackled by 3 and 4. Like 2, the twins had an absolute field day, cataloging and hugging 5, who didn't mind in the least. At last, they backed off and allowed him to greet his mentor.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" 5 cried, hugging 2. "When you just wandered off like that and then never came back, I couldn't imagine what had happened. I was really, really worried!"

"_Told you,"_ 7 mouthed to me. I stifled a giggle. She placed a hand on 5's shoulder. "It's good to see you again."

"You, too," 5 answered, giving her a quick hug as well.

9 came up and slung an arm over 5's shoulder, but I didn't get a chance to hear what he said to the journeyman because 2 had come to me and placed a hand on my arm. I helped him up to my shoulder. "Adriana," he whispered into my ear, "had I known that this is what was needed to bring us back, I never would have –"

"2, it's okay," I cut him off quietly. "It's my choice, and if I didn't want to do this, I wouldn't." I paused and then added, "Consider it a present; my gift to you guys." I turned my head so I could see his face. "I'm willing to do this, and as much as it hurts, I don't care about the pain. Believe me, seeing everyone together again is more than enough to keep me going. Besides, I'm recovering a lot faster this time around than last time."

I suddenly felt something tugging on my sleeve. I flashed 2 a final quick smile before looking down to see 3 and 4 practically bouncing around my arm. "What is it?"

"_Look, Addy!" _4 flickered excitedly, pointing out the window.

"_It's snowing!" _3 said at the same time as her brother.

Glancing up, I nodded in affirmation. Large, fluffy white flakes were falling gently down to the ground.

"_Can we go outside?"_ they asked in unison.

7 and I, being the only two that could understand the twins, laughed. "I don't know guys; I really should start working on the others –" I started before getting cut off by the saddest little-lost-puppy faces I had ever seen. Good grief, they could look so pathetic when they wanted to!

"What's wrong?" 2 asked. After I had relayed the situation to him, he laughed. "That's all? That's no problem! 5 and I can do that for you. You deserve a break anyway."

"You sure?" Mentor and apprentice nodded. "Thanks, guys."

2 waved a hand dismissively. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, get out of here!"

I laughed as the twins clambered up to my shoulders. "See you later, then," I said as the three of us left.

"Have fun!" I heard 2 call after us.

There wasn't nearly enough snow on the ground to do a lot, but that didn't bother the twins in the slightest. They were having too much fun cataloging it, chasing the flakes, and finding different ways of playing with it. I spent quite a bit of time chasing them at the beginning. Soon enough they were begging me to teach them what games humans would play in the snow. I showed them how to make snow angels (granted for me it was more of a snow-dusting angel), and I even managed to collect up enough snow to make a tiny snowman, about their height. I had missed my place as their big sister; it was good to just play with them again and not worry about everything that had been going on.

Unfortunately for me, the twins already knew about snowball fights and I found myself getting hit by miniature projectiles every few minutes. Of course, I couldn't retaliate, which only made it even more fun for them. Even though I felt severely picked on, I was having too good of a time to care.

At last 7 rescued me from the Tiny Terrors, something I had started calling them in hopes that it would get them to stop. Obviously it didn't work. According to 7, she had come out to scout right after we left; "Just to make sure there weren't any other monsters," she had assured me, although I could see a faint smirk on her face. "When I heard the commotion, I came to check it out."

"How long were you watching us?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh, not too long," she said far too sweetly.

"7," I said with a warning note in my voice.

"Only an hour or so," she said, and I could see she was struggling to keep from laughing.

"What?!" I was absolutely mortified. "Why didn't you help me sooner?!"

Now, she did laugh at me. "Oh, come on! You mean to tell me you couldn't control these sweet little darlings?" The twins came up on either side of the warrior and gave me their best we're-as-innocent-as-angels faces.

"Oh man, you three are way too much!" I cried, feigning anger. Apparently I was a pretty good actress, because both 3 and 4 hid behind 7. I instantly softened. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not upset, I promise." The twins returned to me, and I scooped them up into a hug. Once they felt better, they jumped down and began skittering back towards the First Room.

I heard 7 giggling, and I had the sneaking suspicion that it was directed at me. "What?" I asked.

"You are so gullible," 7 replied, strolling on past me, flashing a wide smile at me as she went by.

"Huh?"

"You should know them enough by now to realize that they were faking it," she said without even glancing back.

I just sat there on the ground watching the trio head away from me. I hate it whenever I'm outsmarted by beings that weren't even as tall as my knee.

-----

The warrior and the twins had made it to the First Room before I did. 2, 5, and 9 had clearly been hard at work while I was away. By the time I got back, 6 was complete, and it looked like they were about to start work on 1.

"Hey, Addy! Welcome back," 9 said cheerfully.

"7 told us what happened," 5 added. "I never thought that you –"

"Don't finish that sentence," I cut in. A chorus of laughter erupted around the room. I glowered for a moment before joining in. I knew I was a pushover; always had been, always would be. "It looks like 6 is ready," I said once things had settled down.

The mood instantly changed from lighthearted to serious. "Adriana, you can't be serious," 2 said. "You can't do it. Not twice in one day."

"2, I know it looks terrible, but it really isn't too bad," I lied through my teeth. "I recovered a lot faster today. I hardly feel tired at all, even after being tormented by the twins. I can do it."

Silence descended on the room. "I believe you," 9 said at last, holding out the Talisman.

I took it with a grateful smile and placed 6 within the Transfer Device. I tried to gather what 6 was into the center of my mind, but it was difficult because 6 was a bit of an enigma. Then again, maybe that was exactly who he was; a riddle, a being who trusted his intuition more than anything else.

The transfer almost seemed easier this time. Was it possible to get used to losing your soul? I didn't dwell on that thought for too long; it was too disturbing. When it was over, I slumped back into the chair, gasping as though I had just run a marathon.

6 woke up much faster than 5 or 2 had. The second I took him out he was completely alert, and he seemed to know exactly what was going on. "I knew, I knew! I knew when 2 went away, and I knew when 5 went away! You remembered!" he laughed excitedly. "10, you remembered!"

"Of course I did! How could I ever forget?" I allowed the little 'punk to cuddle into my neck.

"'10'?" I heard 9 and 7 whisper in unison to 2.

"I'll explain later," the inventor softly replied.

I was exhausted. Maybe two in one day was too much. Still, I realized that the same thing might have to happen again tomorrow. From what I had gathered, 8 really relied on 1 and odds were that he wouldn't do too well on his own for too long. I set 6 down to greet the others and returned to my corner to spend the night. I was almost asleep when I felt three stitchpunks climb up onto me. Out of habit, I curled up, creating a pocket for 3 and 4 to sleep in. I felt the last one make his way up to my shoulder. "Hang on, 10. Only three more," 6 whispered. I shivered slightly, already knowing who the third one was.

-----

I had managed to convince the others that I would be able to do both 1 and 8 in one day, especially since 2 and 5 had labored long into the night and had almost finished both bodies. They were tired when I had woken up, but very happy nonetheless, and were now sleeping in my corner. 6 had long since vanished, probably somewhere drawing more visions.

I had already finished the transfer of my soul into 1's body and was waiting for him to gain consciousness. Although I knew the terrible things had had done in his first life, I saw past it, knowing that at heart he really was a good guy. 7 had stayed at her post at the window. She told me that she had a few grudges she wasn't sure if she could let go of yet. 9, however, stood nearby, holding a scrap of red cloth he had found.

1 groaned as he came to. "Where am I?" He stared up at me for a moment before mumbling, "Oh, it's you." It didn't sound disdainful or anything like that, just somewhat unsurprised.

"Told you I'd keep my word," I said.

1 smiled slightly. "I'm certainly glad that I decided to put my faith in you. Thank you."

I placed him on the table, allowing him to steady himself against my hand before he approached 9, head held high. 1 was a proud creature, but he didn't seem to be looking for a fight.

9 held out the cloth to 1. "I believe I owe you a cape."

1 just stood staring at the cloth for a moment before pushing it back to 9. "I don't need it anymore. I'm no leader, 9. I gave up that position a long time ago."

9 looked surprised. I guess he had been expecting 1 to challenge him, but clearly he was ready to step down and let 9 take his place. "Well, take it anyways," 9 said after a moment. "It might help against the cold."

1 hesitated before taking the cloth and draping it around his shoulders. He fastened to into place with a piece of wire 9 had also found. He didn't say anything, but bowed his head to 9 in thanks instead. Seeing that 1 had genuinely changed, 3 and 4 came out of hiding and started to catalog him. "Stop that," 1 growled at them, before letting out a huffing sound that if I didn't know any better, I would've said he was laughing.

I left the table, glancing up to see 7 staring down at the scene in confusion. I caught her eye and nodded for her to join them. I myself returned to my make-shift bed and settled in beside 2 and 5. The soul transfers still left me worn out, and I'd need my strength for 8…and eventually the BRAIN. That still made me exceedingly anxious. How would I ever explain it to the others?

I woke up to find everyone, minus 5 and 6, gathered together on the table. 1 was doing his best to remain as far from 2 as possible without it being noticed. Looks like 9 wasn't only one with guilt issues. 2 didn't seem to mind, although I wasn't sure if he even realized what was going on. I was glad to see that 7 had gotten over enough of her resentment to actually talk to 1.

5 was off to the side making a few final adjustments to 8. I went over to him. "How's he coming?"

"I think he's ready to go," 5 said, and then he added, "You're really brave. Did you know that?"

There it was again. Why was everyone so convinced I was brave? "5, believe me, I'm not brave at all. I'm only doing what I think is right."

5 nodded thoughtfully, contemplating what I had said. "Are you ready?" he asked after a moment, looking pointedly at 8's body.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I sighed.

I contemplated what made 8 '8' as I placed him into the device. I knew very little about him, but I had decided that even though he wasn't the brightest bulb, he was loyal, brave, and protective, all good qualities. When it was over, relief flooded through me. It was over. 8 was the last one. _That's not true and you know it,_ a little voice in the back of my mind said.

As 8 came to, he blinked up at me, trying to figure out what was going on. "You grew," he said uncertainly.

I almost said "Or perhaps you shrunk," but I had a feeling that would cause his mind to explode, so I settled for nodding.

The second he was on the table, 8 took up his place at 1's side before he looked almost longingly around the circle of faces. He gave 1 a questioning look, and 1 gestured for 8 to do what he wanted. Instantly, a lopsided grin came across the hulking stitchpunk's face and he approached 3 and 4. He paused momentarily before lunging at them, scooping the twins into the biggest bear hug he could possibly manage. The twins were absolutely delighted and showed it by pulling 8 over to the others. I was overjoyed that the family was together again and that I was a part of it. Even 6 came out from wherever he had been holed up to greet 8.

"You did it!" 9 crowed to me. "Everyone's back and it's all because of you, Addy!"

"N-no," 6 suddenly said. Silence instantly descended on the group as they turned to stare at 6. "Still missing one," he said, scurrying back to his hiding spot and returning with a paper. I immediately recognized it from my dream.

Instantly, eight pairs of confused and frightened eyes were on me. _Oh, crap._

**YAY! Everyone's back! But now Addy has to explain to everyone why she has to bring back the BRAIN. The next chapter's gonna be **_**fun**_**! See you then!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone, sorry it took me so long to get this up. I was just kind of swamped for a while. I'll try to get the next one up sooner.**

**I have another video review for you, so head on off to ****http://www . youtube**** . com/ watch?v=_DKvdW6EgKA (again, remove spaces). If you guys don't like them and want me to stop, just tell me and I'll go back to typing up review reviews. But I will have to make at least one more because I made a promise to a friend that I'd let her be in one.**

**I did want to thank all of you for your continued support. I checked my story traffic the other day and was absolutely blown away by how many people are reading this. This story is global! So hello to everyone around the world! **

**Disclaimer: I only own Addy and a whole lot of 9 paraphernalia. **

Chapter 12: BRAIN

"Are you INSANE?!" 7 all but shrieked, causing me to wince away.

"In case you forgot, it wiped out all of humanity, save for you, AND more than half of us! You want to wake up that monstrosity to finish the job?!" 1 snarled. 8 looked puzzled at the sudden change in everyone's attitude towards me but loyally stepped up behind 1, adding his support to the first stitchpunk.

"Look, I don't understand what's going on either but –" I tried to defend myself only to be cut off again.

"Addy, that thing is _evil_!" 7 cried desperately. I hung my head, feeling as though I had betrayed my family. They were certainly treating me as such. As I had told them the entire truth about the vision, the dream, what I had learned from the journal, and my own personal feelings, almost all of them backed away. The biggest blow was when the twins hid behind 7. It broke my heart to know that the pair that I had come to love the most now feared me. At this point it seemed that only 6 hadn't turned against me. Then again, this was kind of his idea, so it made sense.

Said 'punk tilted his head, looking back and forth between 7 and 1 in confusion. "No," he said. "Not evil. Hurt." He held up the picture and then pointed at me. "10 will fix. Right the wrong." I stared at him, amazed at how certain he sounded. He swung his head around and his mismatched eyes fixed me with a stare that burned right into my very core. "You will. You must," he told me. He held my gaze for a few seconds before turning away. "9, believe," he pleaded with the leader.

9 thought for a moment. "Addy," he started, but stopped short. He tried again. "Uh, could you wait outside for a few minutes? I need to discuss this with the others."

My gaze dropped to the floor along with my heart. "Okay," I said quietly, feeling the tears welling up.

I went down the stairs, sat on the bottom step, and buried my head in my hands. I had just been rejected from the family, or at least it felt like I had been. Oh god, what if they were going to throw me out? What if they decided I was a danger and told me to leave forever? I had already lost one family, I couldn't lose another one! I just couldn't go through that again! And yet, as I looked at the funeral site, I wouldn't blame them if they didn't want me anymore.

_Why don't you just save them the trouble and leave now?_ the little self-destructive part of my mind taunted. It was right; I could leave, but it wouldn't do anyone any good. Sitting out here, even in my current state, had given me time to think. I had realized I'd need the Talisman to revive the BRAIN. That was the first "wrong" that had occurred; the Scientist didn't give it a soul and therefore it didn't know the difference between right and wrong. And to get the Talisman, I'd need 9's cooperation. So all I could do was wait for the decision.

After a while I heard the unmistakable sound of a stitchpunk jumping from step to step. 9 came up beside me and stood silently. "Well?" I asked quietly.

To my surprise, he held out the Talisman to me. "We need to talk some things over first before you go."

I looked at him, surprised. "What made you decide to…?" I trailed off.

"To trust you with this crazy idea?" 9 finished for me with a small smile. "6 hasn't been wrong before."

I returned the smile, glad to know that 9 was on my side. "Need a lift?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

"No trouble at all," I replied, holding out a hand for the young leader.

The family had come up with an interesting plan, mostly created by 1. That didn't mean he was fine with the return of the BRAIN, believe me, he wasn't. But he remained true to his word about handing over his leadership and had accepted 9's final decision. However, his clever mind showed its worth now, coming up with an idea that would keep them the safest. Me, not so much, but that was because I was going to be working directly with the BRAIN while they would end up dealing with a waiting game.

When I made it out to the BRAIN, I was to wait until the sun touched the horizon before awakening it. I had until when the sun vanished to awaken it and convince it that it didn't need to hate anymore. Once I had, I would send a message back to them with my flashlight using Morse code (of which the twins gave me a quick crash-course in). However, if the group didn't receive the message in time, they were "to assume the worst had happened and to act accordingly," as 1 put it, whatever that meant. If I succeeded, I still wouldn't be allowed to return quite yet. We all wanted to make sure the BRAIN truly had reformed, so I would remain with it and teach it. When I felt it truly had changed, then I would be allowed to come home with the BRAIN.

And so I spent what would be my last night for a while with my family. Even 7 abandoned her watch post to join us. I found myself acting as a living mattress, but I was used to that. Besides, it made me feel forgiven for what I was about to do. I was very apprehensive about what tomorrow would bring, despite 6's constant reassurance that everything would be fine.

The next morning, we went our separate ways; the stitchpunks back to the music shop, and I into the unknown for who knows how long.

-----

I jumped over yet another pile of rubble on my way to where the BRAIN lay dead. _You know,_ came that cynical little voice again, _despite their faith in you,_ _this _is_ one of your stupidest ideas to date. There's still time to go back. You can do it, tell them that they're right and it deserves to stay dead, and then you all can go back to your normal lives._

"Oh, yeah? And what's so normal about having an adopted family of living ragdolls who house the 9 soul fragments of a blood relative?" I replied out loud, ignoring the fact that I was now literally arguing with myself.

_Good point, _replied the voice before wisely shutting up.

There was a trench up ahead, and in it I could see the Fabrication Machine. I skidded down the slope and came to a stop, staring at the thing that lay before me. The arms were twisted and bent into frightening silhouettes, and various bits and pieces from it were strewn about the area. I circled it, examining the extent of the damage. There was no way I could repair it, but that was fine. On the way to it, I had created separate entities in my mind; the BRAIN as what my grandfather created, and the Fabrication Machine that the Chancellor had distorted. I wasn't interested in the gigantic husk that was before me; I only wanted what it housed.

At last I found the sphere that encased the BRAIN. The hinges on the metal that trapped it inside were warped into odd shapes and were almost impossible to pull open. I had to use a nearby pipe as a makeshift crowbar to pry them open. The BRAIN unceremoniously rolled out and hit the ground with a heavy thud.

I rolled it into what I assumed what an upright position. It was bigger than I had originally thought, about two or three feet in diameter, and a lot heavier too. My fingers slowly traced the spiral designs that were engraved into its cold metal shell before moving down the spindly arms, testing the joints and the three-fingered hands. Even lifeless, I could feel that it was strong, easily strong enough to harm, maybe even kill, me. It had appeared to have no means of getting around other than dragging itself by its arms. That gave me an advantage over it. If things went bad, at least I could run.

I checked the sky. It wasn't quite time yet. I sat down nearby to wait for sunset, taking the mask out of my bag and studying it absentmindedly. I hadn't quite decided how I would bring it…him back. He would be receiving a part of my soul and, in a sense, would be just like the others; a living being and not an object. Just like it had been with 3, it felt wrong to refer to the BRAIN as an "it".

_What_ I would be giving him was the uncertain part. He had no soul that I could summon back, and no true personality I could match. He had first been given life by the Scientist's intellect, and so I decided that I would give him what I had always believed my grandfather to be. He wouldn't become a clone of my grandfather because he would always remember and always be scarred by what had been inflicted upon him and by what he had done to others, but at least with my gift, the BRAIN would now have the potential for benevolence and compassion.

I looked up at the sky again. It was time.

I knelt down before the BRAIN and placed the Talisman into its slot under the massive eye. With a final sigh, I brought the mask up. The transfer was both harder and easier than it had been with the stitchpunks. I had to give up a larger part of my soul, so I wasn't fighting against myself to hold it all back. At the same time, with the 'punks I was able to hold a mental image of them. I tried to do the same with the BRAIN but found I couldn't, and every memory of my grandfather flooded my mind all at once: how his eyes would sparkle whenever he got a new idea, his goofy laugh, the way he would spin me around in a hug whenever I visited, his long-legged gait that even as a teenager I had to jog to keep up with, his corny jokes, his wonderful stories, every little detail. I was in tears by the end of the transfer.

I was also severely weakened; much more that I had been with the stitchpunks. I doubted I could do more than crawl away. I had lost my one advantage. I heard the hum of machinery starting up and, remembering 9's description of the deaths of the five stitchpunks and my own nightmare, quickly snatched the Talisman from the slot and returned it to my pocket. I scooted off to the side as the eye blinked on, a deep glowing red. I didn't want him to see me just yet. When I had rolled him upright, I had made sure he was facing the shell of the Fabrication Machine so he knew he was no longer great and powerful.

I could tell that the BRAIN was confused. He knew he shouldn't be alive, and yet he was, and he seemed disturbed by the fact that he was now just the BRAIN. But instead of trying to get back to the Machine, he began pulling himself around in a circle, taking in the surroundings, trying to piece together what had happened.

And then he got to me. We stared at each other for a moment, almost frozen in time, although I noticed that his fingers dug into the ground. After what felt like an eternity, I slowly pulled myself in a kneeling position, and that's when he chose to attack. He lunged at me far faster than I would've thought possible, and before I could react I felt metal hands close around my throat.

Every instinct was telling me to fight back but I knew that it would only lead to disaster. If I displayed any violence, even if he didn't kill me on the spot, my chances of convincing him I wasn't a foe would be ruined. "Wait! You don't have to do this! I'm not here to fight you!" I cried. Instead of letting me go, I felt the hands close even tighter. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be. They hurt and abused you. But it's over; there's no need to fight anymore! I know you aren't evil," I gasped as the hands tightened further, "and I can prove it. You let your creator live. Not all humans are bad, and even if you don't know it, you aren't bad either. Please, let me show you." I was starting to become dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and the world was slowly darkening. He was going to kill me. As my eyes slid shut, I made one final effort. "I'm sorry for what they did, it was wrong. Forgive them," I choked out. "And forgive me."

A heartbeat went by, another, and a third. Then the pressure around my throat lightened and soon disappeared all together. I fell onto my side, gasping for air. He let me live. I looked up at the BRAIN to see him studying his hands. Even without a face, he looked confused, scared, and possibly even ashamed. I sat up, and the giant eye swiveled to look at me. I reached out a hand and to my surprise, the eye snapped shut and he held up his arms in defense. I couldn't believe it; he was afraid of me!

"Relax. The war's over, been over. We don't have to be enemies." I placed my hand on one of the arms, gently pushing it down. The other one lowered as well, and his eye opened slowly. I heard a series of confused-sounding clicks and whirrs come from the machine. When I pulled away, he grabbed my hand desperately, like a frightened child. He clung to it tightly, and causing me to hiss in pain. "Loosen up a bit, please." And just like that, he did, although he didn't release my hand completely. "Thank you." The machine continued to stare at me, trying to figure me out. I was a human; I was supposed to be the enemy and his prey, to fear and hate him. And yet I wasn't. In fact, I was doing the exact opposite. I was trying to be his friend.

I looked up at the sky. I should send the message soon, as I was fairly certain that we had made our peace for now. "Excuse me for a second." I tried to stand up, only to have him grab my arm with his free hand. "It's okay; I'm not going to leave you." The BRAIN hesitated, then let go. Smiling my thanks, I stumbled to my bag (I was still a bit dizzy) and pulled out the flashlight and the scrap of paper which I had written the codes on. Facing the general direction of our home, I clicked out the message _Here Alive Safe Together._ I waited a moment and soon enough saw the response _Be Careful._

Satisfied, I turned back to the BRAIN, who had been watching me intently. He made another series of noises and paused before etching into the ground "who."

"I was talking to my friends. No, not more humans." I paused and bit my lip. How could I explain this to him? I could lie, but that might make him angry again. I needed to gain his full trust, and I could only do that through the truth. "The ones that you were…killed by." The eye narrowed angrily and emitted a sound akin to a growl. "Now none of that. You must realize they did it to protect themselves. You attacked them first," I reprimanded. The eye widened again and swiveled down, seemingly annoyed by the fact that I was right. Softening a bit, I added, "You have a lot to learn about them, just as they will have a lot to learn about you." I sighed and attempted to place a hand on his…head, I guess - let's face it, he was a sphere; his head was his body – but he pulled away in what could've been described as disgust.

I let his actions slide and moved off, collecting up bits and pieces of wood for a fire. "Did you know that the same man who made you created them? I suppose you could say that they are your brothers and sisters." I could feel his eye following me around. I certainly had his attention now. As I started a fire and built it up, I told the BRAIN about the rest of the family, every wonderful detail and silly quirk they had. At first, I felt pure disdain radiating from the machine at being told about the beings that were once his quarry and the cause of his death. After a while it changed into mild interest, and by the time we were both sitting in front of a fire, it had become outright fascination. At one point, he had scratched another word into the ground, "meet."

"You want to meet them? You aren't going to hurt them, are you?" I asked, concerned.

There was a pause before his reply, "no."

"Maybe someday you'll be able to meet them, but not yet. You see, they still don't trust you. I had to fight very hard to be allowed to come help you." The second the words left my mouth, I realized I made a mistake. "Not physical fighting," I quickly clarified. "None of us would ever dream of hurting each other. I meant that it took me a lot of convincing for them to agree to let me come and find you."

The BRAIN sat still for a long time before placing another word on the ground, but smaller than the others. I couldn't see it from where I had been sitting and had to scoot closer to the machine. "'Why'? Why what? I would assume you know why they don't trust you. Why did I bring you back?" The eye briefly moved up and down in what I assumed to be his version of nodding. "I'll be honest. I'm not really sure. It just felt like something I had to do. It felt right. I'm not sure if you understand this, but humans call it _intuition_." I placed a hand on his head and this time he didn't pull away. I ran it over the smooth metal that now had a faint warmth from the motion of his inner workings. "I felt that there was some good somewhere deep inside you and I believed that you deserved a chance to find that out for yourself."

We sat there watching the fire for a few minutes. He was thinking; I could tell from the way the hum had intensified slightly. What he was thinking about, I don't know. He could've been contemplating what I had just said, or he could be trying to figure out the quickest and cleanest way to get rid of me.

Despite these disturbing thoughts that had wormed their way into my mind, I felt sleep creeping up on me. The human need for rest was an interesting concept to explain to the BRAIN. Apparently, he didn't need sleep the way the stitchpunks and I did. Still, I had gotten the point across and made him promise to stay put until I woke. I curled up by the fire but sat back up when I heard a scraping sound. The BRAIN was dragging himself to me. He settled next to me and watched me intently. I lay back down but kept my eyes on him. After a moment, the great eye dimmed slightly before he turned away. I smiled. "Good night, BRAIN," I whispered.

**Just in case you were wondering, the reason Addy asked the BRAIN to forgive her as well is because she knows she isn't perfect either. She had hated him and blamed him as much as every other human. **

**And so the BRAIN is back. I'm kind of disappointed by this chapter; I don't think it's very good. But the next one will be better, I promise! See ya next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**ARGHH! I HATE real life! I got blindsided by the unexpected again. Some 3 or 4 years back my mare (Abby) had a colt (Buck) that I had to sell because I couldn't care for two young horses at the same time. Well I got a letter last month from the man I sold Buck to. The man (Otto) has cancer and had to go out of state for treatment. So now I'm taking care of Abby, Buck, and the other two horses that belonged to Otto. That's why this got put up so late. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about having to take care of three extra horses. In fact, I feel really bad for Otto and if you guys could just keep him your prayers, we'd be most appreciative. **

**I was also having some issues with how to phrase things. I really wanted some sweet moments in this chapter without getting too mushy. I think I've succeeded, but we'll see.**

**My friends were begging to be put into one of my videos, so this particular video has them staring in it. Now you get to meet my real-life psycho friends! Even so, I'm put my review reviews here as well as in the video just because my friends were so noisy that it's kinda hard to hear me. Still, we had fun. The video is on ****youtube**** . com/ watch?v=yd3qXRDrpi8, and if you check out my channel you can also find bloopers of my reviews!**

**Anywho…**

**CreativeJournalist – You're definitely one of my favorite reviewers. Glad the chapter had you guessing. That's always a goal of mine is to keep that suspense factor going.**

**Stone-Man85 – That made me so happy to hear that you think this story is new and excellent. Feedback like that is always welcome. **

**Big Sister K – God, I love the picture! Anyways, hooray for fangirl squee! I love squees! I'm so happy that you are happy. Yeah, the relationship's going to be fun to write in the next chapter. I'm still working the kinks out, but it should be good. **

**Aerith the Evenstar – Thanks for telling me what you're YouTube account was. I like to keep tabs on people and that's just one more way of doing it. Glad BRAIN's return got you freaked out a bit. Like I said before, I like the suspense element.**

**Zero-Vision – I'm very happy that I managed to write a believable BRAIN. I'm going to get a lot more into what he is in this chapter, so hopefully I'll get a good solid personality for him in this one.**

**Miloflygon – Like the name. I'm happy that that was your most favorite chapter thus far. Hopefully they'll continue to get better. **

Chapter 13: Peace

When I woke the next morning, I was certain that I had made a mistake. There was nothing to stop him from returning to the Fabrication Machine and to his original power while I slept, and BRAIN wasn't where he was last night. But when I sat up to look for him, I found that although he had gone back to the Machine, it wasn't for the reason I had assumed. He had instead salvaged some parts from it and now stood on three single-jointed legs that were set in a tripod configuration and was now stood about as high as my shoulders. Noticing I was awake, he ambled over to me and I clapped a hand over my mouth to keep from cracking up. He looked like a drunken spider. Despite that, he seemed very proud of himself, which I suppose he had every right to. After all, he had solved his mobility problem over night without any tools and using only what was in the general area. But he still looked absolutely ridiculous when he moved.

"Oh, 2's going to get a kick out of you," I managed to say with a semi-straight face. BRAIN's attitude went from slight arrogance to confusion. Hadn't I told him not to harm anyone anymore? I sighed. I hadn't realized until now just how many human expressions sounded violent without actually _being_ violent. _Note to Self: Think before you talk._ "Let me rephrase that: I think you and 2 are going to get along really well. Remember what I said yesterday? He's an inventor, just like you are." I suddenly had the bizarre mental image of BRAIN and 2 arguing over what would be the best thing to use for the latest creation while 5 watched from the sidelines waving pennants emblazoned with the words "Go, 2, Go!"

A pang of loneliness went through me. I missed my strange little family. Yes, it had only been a day since we went our separate ways, but I desperately wanted to go home. I knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Even though BRAIN and I had come to an understanding of sorts, I could still feel the anger burning deep inside him, ready to explode at any moment. It was going to take long time to teach him how to control that, and even longer to teach him humanity.

Well, maybe not too long. After all, he hadn't killed me yet.

"Well, let's go," I said, standing up. "I have a lot that I want to show you."

-----

Before the family and I had gone our separate ways, I had grabbed a small notebook and, following the Scientist's lead, decided to keep a journal of BRAIN's progress towards humanity. I hoped that I would be able to learn from it. Perhaps keeping a record of everything would aid me in convincing the stitchpunks that he had changed when I went back.

_Day 1:_

_BRAIN is an interesting creature. Dealing with him is like dealing with my five-year-old cousin. He really doesn't like me and often goes out of his way to show that me that he is ignoring my entire existence. And yet he refuses to let me get too far away and completely loses it if I'm out of his sight for more than a few minutes. And I mean lose it. He doesn't just start searching for me; he makes this absolutely pitiful keening cry as well. And when either he finds me or I return, he throws himself at me and hangs onto my arm for dear life for an hour, or at least until he finds something better to pay attention to. Who would've thought that a machine could've been so clingy?_

_Day 3:_

_I've finally figured out that BRAIN has no true means of communication other than writing things into the ground. It wasn't like with the twins who, although mute, communicated through their flickering. The sounds BRAIN made held no meaning other than a pure communication of his emotions. A whining distress cry, a thoughtful hum, a contented purr, a low growl; that's all they were. Still, he was able to get the point across, and as time went on, I was able to pick up on what he was thinking and feeling easier._

_I've come to the conclusion that the best way to show him the better side of humans, and even the better side of himself, is through stories about everyday life. It sounds corny, but it did seem to be working a little bit. Teaching BRAIN, or "B" as I had nicknamed him (another fun concept to explain to my mechanical companion), was still difficult because he is much more interested in what is around him in this wasteland than in concepts like kindness or compassion. Still, I'm doing my best to remain patient with him, and I don't really mind that he's interested about the world. I've kind of likened him to a young child, and from experience I know that children learned best from their curiosity, so I'm letting him explore. Still, I do wish that he was a little more receptive to my teachings._

_Day 5:_

_Two things have remained unvarying and worrying. He is a very selfish being. I matter very little to him; he tolerates me because my presence wards off loneliness, and there ends the relationship as far as he was concerned. The other constant with B was his continued utter contempt for humans. I'm appalled by the lack of respect with which he regards the dead that lay on the streets, rifling through pockets and walking over them as if they are little more than an inconvenient bump in the road. I find myself beginning to use his constant need to be with me as a disciplinary tool, running and hiding until he stops whatever he was doing and behaved himself for at least five minutes. I like to think of myself as a nice person, but I'll be the first to admit that I can be manipulative._

_Day 8:_

_We've wandered our way back to where I faced off with the centaur. B was not happy to find one of his creations destroyed by 7 and myself – well, mostly by 7 – but at least he didn't take his anger violently out on me. Still, he wouldn't respond to me when I tried to explain why I had fought it. As far as he was concerned, I was a hypocrite; not allowing him to display any aggression while I had killed his underling. _

_I decided to let him glare at me all he wanted and get it out of his system. I had something else I wanted to do. Maybe I am a hypocrite, but it had occurred to me that it might be a good idea to try to retrieve the claw gloves, just in case there were any other lackeys out there for me to worry about. _

_I glanced back at B in time to see him touch the dead machine, like a father mourning his child. Then I started my ascent up the cliff. I had managed to find both gloves and was making my way back down when one of my footholds crumbled, and with a yelp I was sent tumbling down the cliff yet again. On the way down, I hit a sharp stone that tore open one pant leg and also gave me a nasty scrap. When I landed, I heard B make a noise that was akin to a gasp, although he didn't leave the side of the beheaded machine._

"_Don't worry about me. I'm just too dense to figure out that cliffs and I don't get along," I had joked as I staggered to my feet, but B wasn't listening. The blood on my leg held his full attention. He looked back at the centaur and I realized that he had been studying the hand that had put the scars on my face. It was still caked with dried blood. When BRAIN turned back to me, I could literally see him make the connection between everything, and a look of genuine horror entered the great eye. Destroying a race of faceless tormentors was one thing; causing harm to someone who could be considered an ally was something completely different. And it was at that moment that the true force of what he had done collapsed onto him. _

_B began trembling and suddenly his legs gave way beneath him. Instinct caused me to run forward to catch him as he toppled over. I lowered him to the ground as gently as I could and cradled the now wailing machine. With a shaking hand, he began frantically scratching words into the ground next to us. I'm not even sure if he knew what he was doing, but what he wrote revealed the confusion, and possibly terror, that his new understanding caused him._

**Human Evil, Hurt, Pain, I Good, Right,**

**Wrong, Human Kind, Help, I Bad, I Kill,**

**Wrong, Right, Good, Bad,**

**Mistake, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong**

_With each word, B shook harder, and the wail intensified. Everything that he had believed up until now was being shattered, and he couldn't handle it. Then, overtop of everything he had just written, he placed one final word in large capital letters, what he now knew he was: _

**MURDERER**

_I couldn't stand it anymore. I grabbed his arm and, even though he fought me, managed to pull it away from his awful writing. I drew him into an even tighter hug. "Stop it, B," I whispered, my voice shaking. He continued to struggle against me. "B, stop it," I said louder, now desperate. He attempted to push me away. "BRAIN, ENOUGH!" I roared, almost in as much pain as he was in. I have never been able to deal with watching people I love suffer, and as frustrating as B could be, I did care about him. _

_B stopped fighting me, although he continued to tremble, and his wailing died down to small whimpers. I began rocking back and forth, trying to soothe him and maybe even myself. _

_B, I'm sorry. This wasn't how you were supposed to learn the truth. I should've explained it to you sooner. I'm so sorry._

_Day 12:_

_B has become extremely depressed. The events that took place four days ago had truly traumatized him. Nothing I did could snap him out of it. All of his curiosity was gone, he didn't tinker with anything or show interest in any strange new object I found for him, he didn't care if I left his side, he wouldn't even stop at night for me to sleep. He just wanders in a dream-like state, not caring where he was going, and I was forced to chase after him. Even this I am writing while running after him. Whenever he saw a corpse now, he would flinch away as though they caused him physical pain. Once, he came across a small group of people that lay in a semi-circle. He had wandered into the middle it and couldn't, wouldn't, move for a good half-hour; he just sat there keening. I had to physically pull him out of there. He's gone from the all-mighty machine to this terrified creature. What if he stays this way forever? _

_Day 15:_

_Today we came across the one thing I was hoping B would never see: a cemetery. With the state B was already in, I couldn't imagine how he would react to a place that was dedicated to the dead. I tried to steer him away from it, but BRAIN was essentially a brain, and therefore not stupid. And he, like any child being told he couldn't go somewhere, was determined to go there. I followed him though the crumbling arched gateway, dreading the inevitable question that was bound to come up soon._

_It was the first time he had shown interest in something, which might've been a good thing, but I was still nervous. How would I explain this one? I watched as he studied the gravestones, sometimes tracing the letters and the dates engraved on them. After drifting up and down some of the aisles, he asked it, the question I was afraid to answer. __**Where are we?**_

_I hesitated, an irrational part of me hoping that he'd forget what he just asked. Of course he didn't, staring at me expectantly with his great eye. "This is a cemetery. It's where…it's where humans bury dead family and friends."_

_The eye swiveled down in anguish. __**My fault**__, he wrote. _

"_Some of them, yes, maybe. But not all of them," I told him. The eye rose slightly. "Sometimes humans are killed in fights, others get really sick and die, but most of the time people die of old age."_

_**You die?**_

_I hadn't been expecting that question.__Of course I would. Mortality was a fact that I had long ago come to terms with when my real family, my blood-family, had gone off to join the rebels. But my acceptance of it didn't make it any easier to think about. I wanted to believe that I would be around forever; that I could take care of everyone until the end of time. _

_I had knelt down, meaning to make it so that we could see eye to eye. Instead, I found myself staring up at the machine. I now realize that this must have made me look very small and fragile from his point of view, but that was how I kind of felt. Even now I still feel that way. I had taken his hands gently in my own. "Eventually, yes." The giant eye slowly closed. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. As I let go of his hands, I bowed my head. I felt like I let him down, and in a sense, I had, even though it was something I had no control over._

_After a moment, I felt him touch my shoulder. Looking up, I saw him staring at something behind me. Curious, I turned to see a large granite statue. It had fallen off of its pedestal but had survived the fall and remained intact, save for one broken wing. "That's an angel," I said. Just like I always did when I attempted to teach B something new, I quickly scribbled the word into the ground. "They're supposed to be creatures that do only good. Ever hear of a guardian angel? They watch over people, take care of them."_

_**They die?**_

_That took me by surprise. "I…I don't know," I told him uncertainly. "I don't think they do."_

_BRAIN contemplated all of this before suddenly brightening up considerably. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me to the statue and placed it on the cold stone. It took me a moment to figure out what he was trying to tell me. When I finally did, I wasn't sure if I felt honored or embarrassed. "No, B, I'm not an angel."_

_**Wrong. Too nice to be Man. Angel. No die. **_

_Day 20:_

_B has become far happier after he came to the decision that I wasn't mortal. He has almost returned to his old self again, and the things about him that changed were for the better. He has come to terms with what he did, stopped blaming everyone else, and took responsibility for it. He's beginning to treat the bodies we came across with reverence, now giving them a respectful birth instead of just walking right over them or cowering in fear. I've noticed that sometimes he would even nod to them._

_Something else that had changed about BRAIN was that he has stopped being so self-centered, and thusly has become much more attentive to me, and I don't think it is because of my immortal status in his mind. He's become much more patient with me, actually waiting for me whenever I needed a break from walking or when I had to sleep. In fact, he's even figured out a sort of dormant mode and would "sleep" next to me instead of wandering all over the place at night. After a while, B began to pick up on my emotions and knew I missed the stitchpunks. There were times that he would take my hand and give it a soft squeeze in an attempt to lift some of my loneliness. It was a simple gesture, but comforting nonetheless._

_Day 24:_

_Last night, with all our exploring, we ended up at the old park. It saddened me to see how it had been destroyed by the war. Not a tree was left standing, and what was left of the smaller plants that had been killed by the poison gas lay buried beneath the snow. Bodies of humans and Walkers alike lay scattered around the area, and all the statues and fountains had long since been destroyed. I had tried to describe how beautiful it had once been, but B just couldn't grasp it. Even after I had tried to draw some flowers in the snow, he just couldn't understand what I was trying to explain. It was unfathomable to him that there were things that actually grew in the ground. "I wish it was spring or summer," I had finally said in exasperation. "Maybe some of the flowers would have grown back by then." _

_This morning, when I woke up, I found that B had stayed up and spent the night making flowers from scrap metal. Iron roses, copper daffodils, steel violets, and tin daisies now "grew" around me. B stood over of his little creations, looking both pleased and sheepish. He picked up one of them, a very intricate double-blossomed rose, and offered it to me. I have decided to keep that one along with a few of the others to show the family when it comes time to go home. I believe we will be going there soon, but I am still waiting for one more thing to happen._

_Day 26:_

_My patience and hard work has finally paid off: B has reformed. He is gentler, kinder, more considerate, perhaps even compassionate. He has started asking more frequently when he'd be able to meet the rest of the family and is genuinely excited about it. But despite everything, I still feel he isn't ready. I needed B to apologize. Yes, he regrets his past actions and is somewhat saddened by the lives he took, but he has never shown any true remorse, or at least not in my opinion. I know the others, especially 1, will want an apology from the machine before even considering letting him into the group._

I looked up from my writing to see B ambling over to me. "Ready for bed yet?" I asked, expecting him to give his usual series of friendly clicks. But instead he just stared at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slightly unnerved by his sudden intensity.

B remained silent. After a moment, B reached out and touched my throat where he had grabbed me. The touch was gentle, almost tender. I smiled. "Apology accepted, B," I said, patting the arm. "Get some rest. We've got a bit of a hike tomorrow." My friend gave a questioning whir. "Well, tomorrow we're going home." The eye widened. "Yup, you're finally going to get to meet the rest of the family." I giggled as B gave a little cheer. "Goodnight, B." He let out a soft purr in response before the eye slowly shut.

_Nevermind, _I wrote into the journal, a smile still on my lips._ After a month, he has finally done it. Tomorrow we will be returning home. I can't wait to go back. I've missed everyone so much. _

_But what if they don't accept BRAIN? No, given enough time, they would. They might need a little convincing, but they will eventually see the good in him. I'm sure of it._

…Right?

**So, what do you guys think? **

**Oh, and check out ****big-sister-k****. deviantart . com/art/ Addy-and-3-154255960 to see Big Sister K's picture of Addy and 3! **


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm not going to tell you why this took forever, just know that I apologize. To hopefully make it up to you, this is the longest chapter yet. That being said, I also hope it makes sense. I generally keep my chapters to about six pages long in Word so I have an easier time of keeping track of events. This one is about thirteen pages long. And I kept rewriting it. And it has a flashback. And my brain hurts.**

**It's the return of the music! Today's song of choice is "Come with Me" by Phil Collins. Now I know what you're saying: "Hang on, Wolfy, you said you'd keep to 40s music and this one was written in 2001. What gives?" Understood. I wasn't able to find a time-appropriate song that worked for this scene. To me, this was the _only_ song that would work. In fact, this song was actually the starting point for this entire story. I love Phil Collins and the day after I saw the movie I listened to this song, and all I could see was 3, 4, and 6 all sleeping in a little pile. And then all of this grew up around it. Not bad, eh? If you don't know the song, go find it and listen to it. You'll see why I chose it.**

**Since EVERYONE loved the flower scene so much, I did a drawing of it. I'm really lousy at drawing humans, so don't make fun of me. Check it out on DeviantArt, I'm WolfSpirit07, and the title of the picture is "A Flower for You." **

**In this week's video, you finally get to meet Kayla, my bestest friend, and you get to see us both fail horribly at bowling. I haven't quite finished the bowling one because both Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premier Elements hate my guts, but I am working on it. With any luck at all it/they will be up before Saturday, so just keep tabs on my YouTube channel (thornwolf1). I did get the review video finished, so that is up right now. I'm getting tired of putting in the link, so just go to my channel and you'll find it.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the humans.**

Chapter 14: Home

"B, slow down!" I laughed as I chased after my mechanical friend. He paused briefly to look back at me before charging on again. I rolled my eyes and laughed again. In all honesty, B wasn't a fast mover at all; a steady jog could easily keep up with him. He was just so excited about finally meeting the rest of the family on friendly grounds (hopefully) that he took off the second I pointed which way to go. And if I thought the way he walked was comical, his lopsided gallop was even goofier.

After half a day's travel we were almost home. "Hey, B, hang on a second," I called seriously; a tone that BRAIN had learned to obey whenever I used it. And indeed, he stopped and turned around to face me expectantly, although he looked slightly confused. Where had my happy mood gone?

"Easy, buddy," I said in a kinder tone as I came up beside him. I rested a hand on his head, an action that never failed to put him at ease. "Remember what we talked about this morning? The others will still be afraid of you." B immediately started in on a long series of clicks and whirrs. "Yes, _I_ know you won't hurt them, but _they _don't," I interrupted. "Now, our home is around the corner. I need you to wait here for a minute." Instantly his hand clamped onto mine; he was still very afraid of being abandoned. "I promise I'll be back soon. I just need to explain everything to the others. Okay?"

After a moment the eye swiveled downwards dejectedly and let out a little whine, but B let go all the same. I gently patted the top of his head. "I'll be back in a few minutes." I took a few steps away and paused to look back to make sure he was staying put before making my way down the street.

I became aware that someone was watching me, and it wasn't BRAIN. I looked up, scanning the rooftops. And there 7 was on the roof, waving to me. I gave a happy shout and began running as she scaled down the side of the building. I watched her pause briefly at the window, filling in the others about my return.

By the time I reached the door, 7 had reached the ground and 3, 4, and 6 had come running out to meet me. I dropped to my knees so I could scoop up the most child-like of the stitchpunks into a hug. "I missed you too, 4. Everything's fine, 3," I laughed, trying to keep the two flickering conversations straight.

"10?" 6's quiet voice asked.

I nodded slightly. "He's waiting," I whispered back. 6 patted my cheek, praising me for a job well done.

"Hey, it's good to see you again," 7 said.

"Addy!" I looked up to see 9 waving to me as he led the rest of the group out of the shop.

"You were gone so long, Adriana, that we were starting to get worried," 2 said.

"We were considering sending out a search party," 5 added.

"And by 'search party,' 5 meant me," 7 quipped, but gave him a friendly pat on the back to show the more sensitive 'punk that she was only kidding.

1 and 8 remained silent, but 8 had a big grin on his face while 1 gave me a welcoming nod. 6 jumped out of my arms and scurried over to 8 and attempted to pull him closer to me. Obviously I had missed some family bonding because although 8 resisted, he picked up the striped 'punk and placed him on his shoulders.

"It's good to be back. I missed all of you so much!" I cried, giving the twins another hug.

A new chorus of happy welcomes started and then stopped short. All eyes were glued to something behind me. 3 and 4 wriggled out of my arms and hid behind 7, who in turn brandished her spear protectively. I looked over my shoulder, although I already knew who would be there.

"BRAIN, I told you to wait for me," I said, slightly annoyed with the machine. B's eye swiveled downwards, apologetic. I sighed and stood up. "Well, come on and meet everyone." I held out a hand, beckoning to him.

"Addy, your leg," I heard 7 gasp. Oh no. I forgot about when I fell; my pant leg was still stained with blood. "Did he do that to you?!" 7 roared. She charged at him without waiting for an answer.

"Whoa, hold up!" I managed to catch 7 as she ran past me. "It's not his fault. I'm a klutz, remember? I fell. B had nothing to do with it."

"B?" 7 said, clearly believing I was well out of my mind.

"_He_?!" 1 just about blew up. "That thing is an IT! It's a machine; it doesn't think, it doesn't feel, it doesn't care! It is a murderer, a heartless killer! And you're giving it pet names! It is just a pile of hardware!"

"And aren't _you_ 'just a pile of hardware'? Yet you are alive, you think, you feel, you care," I challenged. "You were both created by the same man-"

"But that man gave us a soul-" 1 tried to interrupt, but I cut him off.

"And _I_ gave BRAIN a soul. I don't see a difference." I placed 7 on the ground, fairly certain that she had calmed down. She glared at the machine but backed off. I could hear poor B shaking in fear behind me. I held a hand out behind my back and felt him take it. I gave the hand a reassuring squeeze. I turned to 9. "Believe me; he's not going to hurt anyone." As if to prove I was right, 6 hopped down from 8's shoulders and scampered up to B. This confused and slightly unnerved BRAIN, but he extended a hand to the little artist. 6 took it, studied it for a moment, and then gave it a tug, trying to lead the machine to the rest of the group. B resisted and gently shook 6 off of his hand, but patted the little 'punks head as an apology.

9 was torn. He, like the others, feared BRAIN, but true to his nature he was also very curious. He wanted to know more about the Scientist's first creation. I saw 2 step up and say something to 9. The young leader nodded and 2 patted his shoulder. The kind inventor gave me a wink. He believed me and had convinced 9 to at least hear me out.

"Let's…go inside. I want to hear more about this," 9 said, trying to ignore the sudden stares that were focused on him. He squared his shoulders and went in, and after a moment the others followed.

I coaxed B to come inside, but 9 wanted him to wait downstairs while rest of us had our…talk upstairs. I agreed with him. It might be easier to get the rest to calm down and listen without him there. Convincing B of the same thing was tricky, but in the end he settled down to wait impatiently for my okay. "I will get them to understand, I promise," I said, giving him a hug. He returned it and reluctantly let me leave. "I promise," I told him again before heading up.

The stitchpunks had been hard at work making the room 'punk friendly, with little ladders or elevator pulleys that gave them access to tables and shelves and each had their own little space. 1, who was still having trouble accepting his new lowered status, had chosen the most noticeable spot possible: on the table in the center of the room. He had a tent-like structure rigged up to give himself maximum privacy while still keeping the illusion of grandeur. 8 had a pile of cloth just outside 1's tent, content to just be near the former leader in case something happened. 2 and 5 had set up a little workshop/sleeping place for themselves in the corner of the room and had a number of odds and ends strewn about over there. 7 had made her place up on the shelves where she could see everyone in the room but also have a pretty good view out of the window as well. 9 had chosen one of the drawers, and the twins slept on the bed. They really liked to sleep with me – probably because it made them feel the safest – and knew that's where I would sleep when I returned. I couldn't figure out where 6 stayed, but then I saw him run under the bed. Looking under it, I saw piles of paper and several bottles of ink lined up just waiting to be used by the artist. The room had a warm, orange glow from the stove – which they had figured out a way to kept lit– and from several candles that were strewn about the room.

"So, what made you decide that it was time to bring it, erm, him here? That he was good?" 9 asked when everyone had gathered onto the table.

"Well, for starters, I'm still alive. If BRAIN still hated, he would've killed me by now." I left out that fact that he had attacked when I first woke him up. No need to panic everyone. I told them almost everything, only leaving out the more frightening details of my time with B. I gave the twins the journal, knowing they would get more out of reading about our adventures than just listening to them.

When I showed them the metal flowers I had saved, most of the stitchpunks backed off as though the creations were going to explode. On the other hand, 2 was instantly awestruck by them. "These are amazing. Look at this; he even put veins into the leaves," he murmured as he studied them. "And he did this without you asking him to?"

I nodded. "I only said that I missed the plant life, and B took it from there." I paused, watching the timid 5 finally join his mentor. Pretty soon he was just as excited as 2, going as far as to pick one up so he could see how the petals were attached. "BRAIN's sensitive in a way; it doesn't take much to get him riled up. He's kind of like a little kid." I heard 1 huff and the thought of B being "little," but he didn't interrupt. "He needs to feel safe in order to trust. And once he does, he's a really nice guy. You saw how he was with 6." I stopped again. I could talk all day, but the ultimate decision was theirs. "Whether he stays or goes, the choice is yours," I finally said. "But you need to give him a chance. You'll see that he's one of us. He belongs here."

All eyes were on 9. I felt bad for him. He had all the qualities of a leader, but he could be so insecure at times. His shoulders sagged slightly but he looked back up at me. "BRAIN can stay for now. But until we are certain that he _is_ 'one of us,' he will have to stay downstairs at night. I'm sorry, but I can't trust him yet. I can't put everyone in danger." He didn't say it out loud, but his eyes held the word _again_.

"I understand. Thank you, 9," I said, but my heart sank slightly. I had missed sleeping with 3 and 4 as much as they had missed sleeping with me. I had been looking forward to it, but 9's judgment meant that I would be staying downstairs as well. I had promised B I wouldn't abandon him, and if I chose to sleep up here, the machine would certainly feel like he had been betrayed. In fact, I was surprised he hadn't started freaking out yet. This was the longest he had ever gone without me being right next to him.

The twins yawned and reached out for me. I picked them up and allowed them to perch in their usual places on my shoulders before gently depositing them on the bed. "Sleep well, you two. I'll see you in the morning." I tried to ignore their confused and slightly hurt expressions. "I need to stay with BRAIN," I explained sadly.

"Why?" 7 asked, annoyed that I was choosing him over everyone else.

A sudden pathetic mewl drifted up the stairs. I sighed. I figured he'd start in soon. "That's why. He needs to feel safe, and he only feels that way when I'm around. If I ignore him, he might believe that I deceived him, and that might drive him back to his anger."

7's eyes remained stubbornly hard, and then she looked away and lost her anger. "Go. If he needs you that much then you should be with him. Take a blanket with you. It's colder downstairs." She seemed to have forgotten I just spent a month practically without any shelter, but it then occurred to me that out there I could start a fire to keep warm by. It wasn't the smartest idea to start one inside a building.

I nodded my thanks, which was acknowledged by 7 with a nod of her own. "Goodnight, all," I said with an apologetic smile before heading down. I could feel their eyes on me as I left. I hated having to choose; I just wanted to make everyone happy.

The second I reached the first floor, B latched onto my arm, chattering happily to himself before noticing my more somber mood. He touched my shoulder, his signal for asking what was bothering me. "Oh, it's nothing too bad. They say you can stay, but you can't join everyone upstairs yet. They need time to get to know you more." I paused before adding in a more decisive tone, "I'm won't make you stay down here all by yourself. I'll stay with you, just like I said I would." Although I tried to sound cheerful, I knew it wasn't fooling him. B followed me to a corner, where I curled up and pulled the blanket around my shoulders. I smiled as I felt him adjust it to make sure I was properly tucked in.

A moment later, I felt BRAIN take my hand. I opened one eye curiously, and he wrote in the air _sorry_.

"It's not your fault," I sighed tiredly. I suddenly felt drained. I had known that we all wouldn't be one big happy family right away; I had just hoped B wouldn't have been shunned so readily, especially after how he behaved with 6. "Just…just get some rest." I closed my eye again and felt his grip on my hand slacken, although he didn't let go.

As tired as I was, my mind was far too occupied with the day's events to find sleep. This was supposed to be a joyous day, but it almost ended in disaster. A part of me felt like I was playing favorites by choosing to stay with B, but I really was trying to make sure he remained peaceful. Ugh. How could I make our little ragtag group a real family? It felt like forever before I finally nodded off.

-----

I woke to something poking my cheek. I half-heartedly brushed whatever it was away, but it only came back twice as frantic as it originally was. "Stop it," I grumbled, my words slurred with sleep. Suddenly, something gave me a sharp rap in the head. _That _got my attention. "OW!" I sat bolt upright, glaring at B. "What was _that _for?!" He crossed his arms, which can look pretty comical but not when paired with a dark red eye. He was _mad_. I was baffled; what could I possibly do to offend him while I was asleep?

Something poked my leg and I found 3, 4, and 6 standing around me. Poor little 6 was trembling uncontrollably while the twins stood on either side of the little artist as though they were the only things keeping him from bolting. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you guys." I checked the window; it was still dark outside. "What's the matter?"

"_6 just woke up all of a sudden,"_ 3 replied.

"_He was really scared for some reason," _4 added.

"_And he just took off and came down here," _3 finished.

I murmured in sympathy as I gently picked up 6. "Hey, you don't need to be scared. Did you have a bad dream?" He nodded. I figured. After everything the 'punks had been through, I was certain that they all had nightmares every once in a while. "Well, I'm here now. I'll make sure nothing gets you or anybody else."

6 stared up at me with trusting, mismatched eyes. He reached out, and I brought him closer, allowing him to bury his face in my shirt. "Sound?" he whispered, his voice slightly muffled by the fabric. I didn't understand why he said it, but it sounded like a request to me.

I looked to the twins for an explanation. _"I think he wants you to sing," _3 suggested.

I glanced at B out of the corner of my eye. He had relaxed again, and was only angry because he believed I was ignoring the stitchpunks. Now he was watching me much the same way 6 was.

I turned my attention back to the little fellow that was now curled up in my arms, patiently watching and waiting. My mind ran through the various lullabies I knew, but none of them seemed right for this situation. I wanted it to be more than just a relaxing song; I wanted it to be reassuring, a promise that I would always be there for them. I gathered 3 and 4 up as well, cuddling all three close to me, and I started to sing, making up the words as I went along.

"_I'll try to make the sunshine brighter for you,_

_I will even play the fool if it makes you smile._

_I'll try to make you laugh if there's a tear in your eye,_

_After all is said, after all is done, I'll do anything for you._

"_Come with me, close your eyes,_

_Hold my hand, it'll be alright._

_Don't be scared, don't be shy,_

_Lift your head it's gonna be alright."_

As I sang and gently rocked the 'punks, I felt B move tentatively closer, not wanting to frighten the little beings in my lap but still drawn in, responding to. 3 raised her head and watched him for a moment before laying it back down on her brother's shoulder. I gave the machine a slight nod that I was okay to join us. He settled in, leaning against my shoulder slightly.

"_I'll try to make the stars shine brighter for you._

_And I'll take you on my shoulders, hold you way up high._

_I'll even chase the rainbow hanging in the sky,_

_'Cause after all is said, after all is done, I'd do anything for you."_

I became aware of six sets of eyes watching us. There others had woken up and were now gathered on the stair steps to watch the strange spectacle before them. 2 had the most serene look on his face, one that reminded me of someone I once knew but I could not remember who it was. 5 stood beside him, looking more peaceful than I had seen him since I first brought him back. 7, who I had thought would be having a fit over how close BRAIN was to dear 3 and 4, merely watched with a light smile. She knew I wouldn't let anything bad happen, although I had the sneaking suspicion that 9 was somewhat responsible for keeping her under control. Said 'punk's hand was holding hers, probably a gesture caused by the peaceful mood rather than any deep feelings between the two. 1 and 8 were the farthest away, but I saw 8 swaying along and gazing longingly at us. He desperately wanted to join the impromptu sleepover that had formed but was too loyal to 1 to move. 1 also noticed and, after a moment's thought, waved a hand in dismissal. 8 all but skipped down to us and crawled into my lap, careful not to disturb the others.

"_Through the eyes of innocence_

_You will find, you will see._

_There'll come a time it all makes sense,_

_And you won't know, but it will show inside, deep inside."_

I saw those who remained on the stairs go back up. They were satisfied that all was well. The four in my lap were already asleep, 3 and 4 in their usual intertwined pile, while 8 had wrapped a protective arm around 6. I was beginning to nod off again myself. I rested my head on B's and listened to the soft whirring of his gears. It was an almost soothing sound.

"_I'll try to make the days last longer for you,_

_From the daybreak 'til the sunset 'til the end of time._

_I'll keep you safe away from the heartache,_

_'Cause when all is said, and when all is done, I'd do anything for you._

"_Come with me, close your eyes,_

_Hold my hand, it'll be alright._

_Don't be scared, don't be shy,_

_Lift your head, it's gonna be alright."_

-----

When I woke the next morning, I found 6 and 8 sitting not too far away. The pair had definitely formed a brotherly bond, as 6 was currently showing off some drawings he did to the stitchpunk version of a behemoth. I doubted that 8 grasped the secret meanings behind 6's beautifully frantic sketching, but he praised them all the same. All in all, it was very cute and peaceful. 3 and 4, on the other hand, were scurrying in circles around BRAIN, cataloging him from as many angles as possible. 7 was attempting to herd them away from the very unnerved machine. Poor B wasn't sure what to do with the flashing blue blurs that were racing around him and looked just about ready to run for his life.

"Hey, c'mon, give the poor guy a break," I said sleepily to the twins. The pair paused and exchanged glances before pouncing on me. "I didn't mean you could do that either!" I squealed as they began to tickle me. I playfully swatted at them before pulling them into a cuddle.

After a moment, BRAIN came over to examine the now subdued twins. He held out a hand and 3, still more adventurous than her brother, took hold of one of his fingers in a friendly gesture. She flickered shyly up at him, knowing he wouldn't understand but still feeling some sort of obligation to apologize. B watched curiously and then attempted to reply the same way by blinking rapidly but only succeeded in making himself dizzy. Even so, 3 patted his hand in appreciation for his efforts.

"How long was all of that going on for?" I quietly asked 7 while the twins continued to play with B.

"Quite a while," she replied. "Although, I am impressed with…him. He's never touched them once…and was fairly patient. He was pretty calm until they started going in circles around him. Maybe…maybe I can learn to live with him."

I looked at her in delighted surprise. That took a lot of strength for her to say. "So, where's everyone else?"

"Well, 1 and 9 are upstairs, shall we say, bonding. 1 has definitely been trying to get along better with 9. You've probably seen that neither is particularly comfortable with his new position. But they've been getting better. 2 and 5 went out looking for some new fabric scraps or wires or spare parts or something. Why don't you go out and see if you can catch up with them? 2 was a bit disappointed that you weren't awake yet. He really wanted to get to know BRAIN more, but that machine is just as loyal to you as 8 is to 1; he wouldn't leave you." I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Sounds good to me. What do you think, guys?" 3 and 4 nodded enthusiastically from their perches on B's arms. "Great! You coming, 7?"

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up later on."

I nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

2 and 5 weren't too far away and were delighted to have some extra company. 2 immediately took B and began showing him their finds. 3 and 4 joined them for a while before becoming bored and attempted to start a game of tag with B. It took him a moment to catch on, but once he did, they had great fun. The game soon shifted from tag to hide-and-seek, and from that to simply just exploring the area. 2 wasn't able to join them when they were playing, but he was more than happy to accompany them in their roaming, and after a while even 5 joined them.

Through it all, I didn't join them. I was too busy thinking about things. Too busy remembering. I missed my mother, I missed my brothers and my father, I missed my friends, I missed _people._ I loved the 'punks and B, but there were things I couldn't do with them. I always had to be extra careful with them to avoid hurting them. I missed rough housing with my brothers. They were my best friends and they loved to wrestle with me, much to my father's chagrin. After my mother died, I was supposed to be the lady of the house, and it used to drive him insane whenever I played those kinds of games. Still, I did it anyway and learned how to play the flute for his sake, a bit like a trade-off.

I thought about last night, the way 2 had been watching us. I had finally remembered who he reminded me of: Gramps. And thinking of Gramps only made me think of Mike. I should've fought harder to get them to stay. But Mike wouldn't have listened to me, and Gramps refused to let him go out alone. As Mike had told me the day they left, "You're always looking out for me; it's time to let me do something for you." And he was right; I always did take care of him. In fact, that was how we met. He was the new kid in town and was an outsider like me. Unlike me, he was not happy with that status and decided the best way to make a name for himself was to challenge the local bully to a fist fight…

-~-~-

_I trotted down the steps, nose buried in my latest book. I sidestepped around a couple kids, dodged a baseball, felt the wind attempt to blow away the bandana in my hair, caught it, and readjusted its position, all without looking up from the page. There seemed to be more shouting than usual, but to me it was no particular cause for alarm. It was always extra noisy on Fridays. _

"_Knock the beanpole's lights out!"_

_My head shot up. That was _not _normal. I dropped my book and my backpack and ran to the ring of kids that had formed at the far end of the schoolyard. I pushed my way to the front to see the bully that had been un-affectionately nicknamed "Tank" circling some guy I had never seen before. He was very lanky with shaggy sandy-blonde hair. I felt bad for him; Tank was not known to go easy on new kids and often beat them up simply "to teach them their place." And then I realized the new kid was goading Tank on! Was he crazy?! Did he actually have a death wish?!_

_I watched in horror as the kid charged at the bully and ran face first into Tank's fist. He dropped to the ground and curled up. Tank raised his fist again, preparing to deliver another blow to his victim._

"_Hey! Leave him alone!" I shouted. Big mistake._

_Tank swung around to face me. "You say somethin', shrimp?" Tank growled. "Or do you need to be taught a lesson, too?"I immediately backed into the crowd again. "Good." He returned his attention to the downed kid. _

_I turned away, unable to watch. I heard a sickening thud followed by Tank's usual snarled threats. After a moment, he shoved me, almost knocking me to the ground. "You're lucky that I'm in a good mood today," he hissed as he went past. _

_As soon as he left, the rest of the crowd dissipated, leaving just me and the new guy who was still on the ground, his back to me. I circled around him to see he was clutching his nose. Blood trickled around his fingers. I hesitated before pulling the bandana from my hair. "Here," I said, holding it out for him._

_He looked up, olive green eyes wide with surprise. "But I'll get blood on it."_

_Oh good, insane and dumb. "That's kind of the idea," I replied._

"_You didn't let me finish," he said. "I'll get blood on it, and you don't mind?"_

"_Would I offer it if I did mind?"_

"_Good point," he laughed and took the bandana from me. _

_There was a bit of an awkward silence between us. "Maybe we should get someone to look at that," I suggested at last._

"_You're probably right." Still, he didn't get up, opting to just sit there and look at me. "What's your name?" he suddenly asked._

"_Pardon?" Was this guy for real? His nose could be broken and all he wanted to do was make small talk!_

"_Your name? What is it? Unless you like being called 'shrimp.'"_

"_Only if you like being called 'beanpole,'" I shot back._

"_Oh, touché. Call me Mike."_

"_Call me Addy."_

_An expression of recollection came across Mike's face. "Now I know why you look familiar. You're in my math class. You were the only one to get an _A _on that test that was handed back today, and then you got reamed by the teacher for reading instead of paying attention. That really wasn't fair of him. I mean, how can you get an _A_ and _not_ be paying attention? Am I right, or am I right, Adds?"_

"'_Adds?'"I repeated. _

"_Yeah, Adds. You know how in math you add and subtract and all like that. It's perfect for a math wizard like you!" he said as gave me a wink. _

_I couldn't tell if Mike was trying to be charming and utterly failing at it, or if he was just trying to be friendly._ "_Um, that's nice of you to say, I think, but I prefer just Addy." I held out a hand to help Mike up off the ground._

"_Oh, you're no fun. But I suppose that you did help me, so," he suddenly put on the cheesiest Shakespearean accent I've ever heard and finished with a bow, "I am in you debt, milady."_

_I laughed. For all of his oddities, I really was beginning to like him. Unable to stop myself, I curtseyed and replied, "'Twas nothing, good sir knight."_

"_I take it back; you _are_ fun! So, um, I've only been in town for a week. Where do I go to get this taken care of?"_

"_Follow me. The hospital's this way." _

_I attempted to go pick up my stuff, but Mike slung his free arm around my shoulders. I hadn't realized just how tall he was until now. He was easily a foot taller than I was, but while taller people usually intimidated me, I felt at ease with him. "You know, Adds-"_

"_Addy."_

"_Addy, right, I think we're going to get along just fine."_

_-~-~-_

I opened my eyes, vaguely aware of the tear that had found a way down my cheek. 7 had joined us while I was taking a stroll down memory lane and was keeping the twins entertained while 2 and B were examining some new trinket. I sighed, resting my head on my knees.

"Hey, are you okay, Addy?" I looked down to see 5 sitting next to me. "You've been in a trance for a while now."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did anyone else notice?" I was worried that I might have panicked BRAIN and the twins.

"Only 2 and 7 when she came along. 2 said it was nothing to worry about and so we distracted them," he said, nodding to the group. "So what happened?"

"I was just…thinking about people I used to know."

"I…it must be…I don't know what to say to make you feel better. 2's a lot better at that then I am." We watched the others for a moment. "Aren't you lonely without other humans?" he suddenly asked.

"Sometimes. Like right now. But just because I miss people doesn't mean I don't care about you guys. You're my family now, and I'm not just saying that. I wouldn't trade you for anything, not even if everything went back to the way it was."

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Only if all of you were there with me," I confidently replied. 5 smiled and hugged my hand.

"Hey, it's getting late. We should head home," 7 announced, attempting to catch the twins who were currently chasing a feather that was being carried along by the wind.

"I'll catch up with you later on, okay?" I said.

"Are you sure, my dear?" the ever-thoughtful 2 asked.

I nodded. "I just need some alone time, that's all."

7 looked like she was about to object, but 5 motioned for her to keep quiet. "Just be back before dark," she said at last.

B clicked softly to me. "Go with them," I told him gently. 3 and 4, who understood my needs, took his hands and guided him away. He didn't like that everyone was leaving me behind, but he allowed himself to be led after 7. It was heartwarming to see the way they had bonded. B was definitely winning everyone over.

I watched them vanish around the corner and sighed. Why was I suddenly thinking so much about my lost family and friends? Everything I told 5 was the truth, and up until today, I hadn't really thought about anyone else. Yet now I was almost absolutely obsessed with them. Maybe it was because of the season. Winter had been my brothers' and Mike's favorite time of year. They loved snow and the holidays, just as my mother did. I longed to see them one last time. Still, adored my new family and I truly wouldn't give them up for anything. They were probably wondering what was taking me. Somehow feeling better, I stood and headed for home.

When I got back to the music shop, B wasn't downstairs. Had he been kicked out? I heard voices upstairs, happy ones. I quickly ran up them and skidded into the room to find everyone in a circle, including B.

"Hey Addy!" 9 greeted a bit more cheerfully than usual. In fact, everyone looked extra happy.

"Did I miss something?" I asked a little suspiciously.

"Nothing at all, Adriana," 2 said. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you all look like the metaphorical cat that ate the canary," I answered, adding in the "metaphorical" lest B actually believe that they were all felines that had small yellow birds for supper. "Even 1's smiling."

"I am not," he said, instantly putting on his trademark scowl.

"Yeah, okay," I said dubiously. "Just as long as you aren't plotting against me." All of them far too eagerly jumped to assure me that nothing was going on. "All right, I believe you. For now," I added playfully. "So why is B up here?"

"He behaved so well today that we thought it would be okay," 7 said.

"That's great!" I patted the machine's head, overjoyed that he had earned some trust, especially that of 7.

3 and 4, who had been sitting by B's side, scrambled up onto the bed and began begging for a story from me. I laughed and settled in beside them. B followed with 6 at his heels and he helped the artist onto the bed. B settled in by my pillow and gazed at me with the same expression as the three stitchpunks. "So, which one do you want tonight?"

**Hopefully it was coherent. Like I said, I rewrote this at least twenty times. Ooh, what are the stitchpunks and B planning? Probably somewhat obvious, but still, I'd love to hear what you guys think will happen. All of the reminiscing may not make sense yet, but it will soon! **

**Hey, Big Sister K, *censored due to spoilers* is in the next chapter! Yay!**

**See you later!**


	15. ACK!

**Again, more apologies. I have been exceedingly swamped by college and haven't had time to work on **_**Last**_**. This is what I get for thinking I could handle biology, chemistry, and calculus all at once. **

**However, I have been using any spare time to practice my writing skills. I'm hoping to come back bigger and better than ever. I also have ideas and even bits and pieces of chapters written down on various pages of my notebooks, but I just haven't had the time to finish them and type them up. Basically, I **_**am**_** still working on this, I just need to find a second for myself to actually sit down and focus on **_**Last**_**.**

**Also, I have been under attack by plot bunnies again, which also have been distracting me from **_**Last**_**. Some of these include a crack-fic crossover of Portal (absolutely LOVE that game) and 9 in which the Fabrication Machine and GLaDOS happen upon each other in the machine afterlife and start up on the old "anything you can do I can do better" (this one's for you, BigSisterK ;D ), and a semi-spinoff of **_**Last**_** that is told from BRAIN's point of view, starting from when he was first activated by the Scientist and ending…wherever I feel like it should end. If either of these sound fun, please let me know. And just to put your minds at ease, I will try to get a chapter of **_**Last**_** up first before venturing down either of these paths. **

**To add onto all of these distractions, I agreed to become an editor for a friend who's just starting out. Gameking the Noble (if you are familiar with my YouTube channel, that name should ring a bell) decided to write a crossover fic of the Grudge and Brutal Legend (I know, can't get much more opposite, right?) and enlisted me to help sniff out errors and the like. Actually, he seems to be pulling it off quite well. If you're into suspense, horror, drama, and a bit of gore, I'd check it out. If you review, tell him I sent you. It'll make his day. **

**One other thing. To ****OMGeeezers, I appreciate your…dedication to getting me back on course again, but please don't do anything too drastic. I am very honored that this is one of your "most favourite-est stories on FanFiction." Thank you, and please have patience and faith in me.**

**And now, to prove that I am not a terrible horrible liar who's just dangling promises in front of you, a little preview of the next chapter. I sincerely hope that this can reassure you that I have not vanished or given up or whatever you might have thought. I'm just very, very tired and very, very busy. Thank you again for your patience, and believe that I am trying to get to work on **_**Last**_**. See ya!**

Before, I only had a hunch that the family was planning something, but now I was certain of it. They tried to hide it from me, but none of them are particularly good at keeping secrets, especially since there are now eleven of us crammed into one room. They did a fair enough job at keeping me preoccupied, but that in itself definitely clued me in that something was up. They would practically hand me off to one another. An average day went something like this: The twins and 6 would beg me to take them out for "a bit" of exploring, and "a bit" usually translated to an hour and a half. As soon as we got back, 7 would suggest that we do "a bit" of scouting and would find some of the strangest things to get concerned over, clearly a very poor attempt to stall for time. At this point, the family would give me a chance to spend "a bit" of time at home. And then 2 and 5 would come and ask if we could go out looking for some new odds and ends. Eventually we would get back and then either 9 or 1 would find a way to distract me. Next, I had the usual nightly duties of getting the twins and 6, and occasionally 8 (he loved stories and fairy tales as much as they did), to settle down for bed. At last, completely drained, I'd be allowed to sleep. Bright and early the next day, the routine would start all over. Through all of it, B would trot along behind me, happy as could be. Whenever I was home, two or three members of the group would be in a restricted corner, working on this secret project. Not only had they rigged up a curtain, 8 was also usually stationed outside it. If I got too close, I would be instantly shooed away by him, or he would alert the others and they'd do it for him.

They were steadily driving me insane, but somehow I put up with it for a week and a half. But my patience is not limitless and I finally lost it. I was curled up on the bed with my back to the room. I didn't want to play any games or tell any stories or help or talk to anyone. I just wanted to be left alone, and I was ready to snap at the next stitchpunk or machine that bothered me.

"Adriana, could you do me a favor?"

And that's how I ended up rummaging through the hobby shop, looking for what 2 had requested. I really can't say no, can I?


End file.
